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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29607708">Fractured-UnOrdinary</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/KittCat20/pseuds/KittCat20'>KittCat20</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>unOrdinary (Webcomic)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Gen, I will add warnings to certain chapters, I'm Bad At Summaries, Please read with caution, There's a lot of heavy subjects discussed here, There's discussion of mental health, and theres chaos, everything's on fire, there's violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-04-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-16 03:08:25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>40</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>122,204</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29607708</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/KittCat20/pseuds/KittCat20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>For John, he always thought he had two options in life; break down your problems, or let them break you. </p><p>He had always shattered whatever challenge came his way like glass, unwilling to let such small, insignificant matters affect him. </p><p>Yet, he was unaware of just how much damage their broken shards did to him, how much their debris piled at his feet.</p><p>But as long as they didn't break him, he was fine. As long as he could prove he wasn't weak, he didn't care how much damage he took.</p><p>How foolish...he was cracking at the seams and he didn't even notice it. </p><p> </p><p>Note- I do NOT own UnOrdinary or any of its characters. All rights go to uru-chan who writes the comic and webtoon who publishes it.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>121</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>148</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Authors Note</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Welp! Let's see how this goes!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Well hello there everyone!</p>
<p>I'm KittCat20 and thank you for deciding to read this book and give it a try! (I hope I don't disappoint.) </p>
<p>This is one of my first official fanfics and I'm very proud of how far I've come. </p>
<p>Before going on with the story, I just wanted to say how much I love and appreciate this community and all the talented people who have risen within it, including all you fellow writers. Over the past few years that UnOrdinary has been premiering, I've met so many wonderful people. I know there's some disagreement in the community with how the story has been going, but if anyone wants to get into discussions, feel free to do so. Just keep conversations respectful please.</p>
<p>Since I've seen this question asked before, I'll leave my answer here: I'm not going to be doing ships. 1. NONE of these characters are ready for a romantic relationship yet. They're all in high school and going through some pretty crazy and stressful stuff.  2. I feel like if I added romance into the story, it would take away from other things that I want to get across in my writing. (Sorry to those of you who ship, but I'm not that good at writing romance.)</p>
<p>Other than that, to my younger readers/ everyone in general, there are a few things I want to go over:</p>
<p>*First; this story is rated T 15+ as it involves mental health disorders, trauma, recovery, language, violence, blood, and death. It will be rated mature, however, it does not talk about anything of sexual nature, does not go into extremely goreish details and swear will be censored. Ex: "You son of a b*tch." </p>
<p>(Generally, what happens in UnOrdinary but some scenes will be written in more detail as I am writing this. If you read UnOrdinary without any issues, you can read this.) I can't guarantee warnings for everything so if you are bothered by any of this, please DON'T READ. If you aren't, then go ahead.</p>
<p>*Second; As I had written this Authors Note during national suicide prevention month and in the general theme of mental health in this story, I will leave this here for anyone who needs/ wants it.</p>
<p>If you or someone you know might be depressed/ suicidal, needs the help of a mental health professional, or is in a dangerous situation with a parental figure/ guardian, here are a few numbers to call.</p>
<p>-National Suicide Prevention Lifeline toll-free: 800-273-8255</p>
<p>-Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA): 240-485-1001</p>
<p>-National Child abuse hotline: 800-422-4453</p>
<p>-National Domestic Violence Hotline: 800-799-7233</p>
<p>You can also check out https://psychcentral.com/lib/common-hotline-phone-numbers/, and https://www.nami.org/Support-Education/NAMI-HelpLine/Top-HelpLine-Resources for more numbers/ help.</p>
<p>*Last but not least; please note that while this book dives into trauma and the beginning stages of recovery, it is NOT meant to be a guide on how to navigate your own mental health. Everyone has different experiences/ trials they've faced, so this book does not speak for everyone on how to go about recovery. </p>
<p>With that being said, let's get on with the story! Once again, thank you guys for reading and make sure to vote and leave a comment as I enjoy hearing your feedback!</p>
<p>P.S: Here's the opening which was originally going to be the summary ;)</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Wellston.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>One of the most prosperous districts to live in.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>It draws in everyone of all walks of life.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>No matter who you were or where you came from, Wellston has something for everyone.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>It holds so many things to keep you intrigued, so many new and interesting places to discover.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>If you were to ask someone who lived there, they might say that it was the best place to make a life, even going so far as to say it was one of the safest places to live.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>When given that answer, take it with a grain of salt. No place is ever 100% safe.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>No matter where you go, there will always be something.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>It's normally nothing to be overly worried about.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>But here at Wellston, some things are better kept hidden.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>In Wellston, you're never safe.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Nobody is.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>There's always a shadow lurking in the dark.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>An enemy around every corner.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>People fail to see the writing on the walls, even though they've been stained with red.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Lies and cover-ups are done while their backs are turned.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>They fail to see just how dangerous the world around them is.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>But no one will tell you that.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Because they believe that here in Wellston, danger doesn't exist.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Ỏ̶͔͜h̶̪͈̎́ ̷̧͕̈́̈h̵̩̆͜o̴̳̯͆w̶̪͉̔ ̶͘͜Ẅ̶̡̦́͘R̸̗̦̀Ǒ̴̜N̵͖̣͆̀G̴̗ ̵̡̋t̷̖̏h̷̡̊̈́͜e̵͔̽y̶͚͐͘ ̵̞͋̅w̸̘̣̑ḙ̵͝r̸̳̍e̶̙̩̾.̷̭̘̚</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Prologue</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>
    <span>The view overlooking the city of Wellston only highlighted its charm and appeal. It was calm, serene. Especially now with the change of seasons.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>The trees were already beginning to shift, turning multiple shades of red, orange, yellow and brown. Leaves began falling off their respective branches, signaling that summer was at its end. The air was already getting cold as the days had begun to shorten, however, this didn't stop everyone from mingling and walking about.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Children with scarves and coats wrapped around their energetic bodies, jumped and played in the leaves collecting on the ground. The satisfying crunch the decaying plant life made only furthered their excitement for the season. Their parents watched on and chatted on park benches as they sipped their steaming beverages, finding relief in the warmth they provided.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>People left their places of employment as the late afternoon signaled the end of their shifts. They wrapped themselves up in jackets and left for the evening as the weekend welcomed them with open arms.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Friday afternoons had become the peak of human evolution. No school, no work, and nothing to worry about until Sunday night rolled around. You could do anything you wanted on a Friday night and no teacher, coworker or manager could tell you otherwise.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>The thriving area bustled with people who drove in their vehicles down the road and walked in large herds along the sidewalks. Some even stopped inside shops and stores, enticed by what they had to offer.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>A lone teen walked into Wobba Bobba to get his favorite drink, not caring about the cold.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>A small group of adults stopped by a restaurant for some much needed alcohol and a quick bite to eat.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>A set of school kids walked into Kovoro mall to buy new clothes, their older ones not warm enough for the changing weather.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>A girl sat and waited at the bus stop, her towering, disinterested friend sitting next to her as they shivered. Neither liked the cold and both wanted to get back to their dorms and escape the chilly weather.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>It was just another day in a small, but lively town. People were still doing their own thing and living their lives.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>It could have been snowing for all they cared and life would still continue on like normal.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>But for some, things were about to be anything but normal.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>A woman stared at the sinking ball of fire that painted the sky in a torrent of blazing hues. The already picturesque scene had become engulfed in flames, making the view a sight to behold. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Sunsets were always unique as no two were ever alike. Those in the fall were even more special as it was a dwindling reminder that scenes like these would become harder to view, that the sun's warmth would disappear for longer amounts of time. It was a reminder to enjoy what you have while you still can.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Normally, the woman would find warmth in watching such a scene. She loved to watch sunsets and would do whatever she could to have a few minutes to herself to watch them. But today, instead of the sun's warmth cascading down on her, all she could feel was the decaying breeze nipping at the back of her neck through the open window.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>She sat with her legs crossed, hands gripping the arm rests of her chair as she stared impatiently at the door before her.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>'Where is he?' She sighed as she reached over to the table and took a sip of her clear drink. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>The woman hated soda to drink on a regular basis, but when she was stressed, she would have some lemon-lime as the tangy, citrus beverage helped calm her down. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Most people would resort to drinks like wine or beer to relax. While she didn't hate alcohol, it didn't bring her the same comfort as her favorite childhood drink.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>She stared down at the glass that rested in her fingers, it's fizzy depths reflecting the bright colors in the sky. Deep down though, all she could see was the lingering disappointment in herself, in the choices she's made.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>She sighed before finally getting up, pacing the room around the long glass desk at its center.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>The woman was just about ready to leave when she heard the door handle click, opening to reveal an unamused and tired set of burning irises staring back at her. The woman sighed in frustration as she ran her hands through her lavender locks. "Where is he? You said you would bring him here almost 20 minutes ago." </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>The un-welcomed guest sighed as she narrowed her eyes, brushing back some stands of her blonde hair. "It's not my job to be your secretary. If you wanted to find him faster, you should've done it yourself." </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>The woman only let out an agitated sigh, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Fine. Where is he?" </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>The stern faced blonde looked behind her before stepping to the side, allowing another figure to walk in.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Behind her was the man in question, one the lavender haired woman despised now with every inch of her being. The blonde tipped her head to the man as he greeted her. "I'll be outside sir." He only nodded back as she left, shutting the door behind her, leaving the two alone as they stared one another down. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>The lavender haired woman looked over at the man, pure hatred blooming in her eyes as he looked back.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>He rested his hands in his pocket, unfazed by the death glare he was receiving. "Sorry I wasn't as punctual as you wanted me to be. But some of us have other things to do besides meet almost 2 hours after work ends." The man walked over and took an empty seat across from her. "What was it that you wanted to talk about?"</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>She looked back at him, an unsettling sweetness appearing in her voice. "Why yes, I did have something important to talk to you about. Something fairly important." She reached over into her bag and yanked out a set of medical papers, ones she had collected from their files earlier that morning. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>She slid them across the table to him before he picked them up and skimmed its contents. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>The woman's voice was filled with contained rage as she leaned against the table, hand on her hip. "Care to explain to me why you sent an agent down to the hospital to put in a cease and desist order for her lab results?" </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>The man kept calm, knowing just what exactly this was now about. "There's nothing to explain. Right now, it's in everyone's best interest if things remain as they are." He set the papers back down on the table.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>She narrowed her eyes. "'Everyone's best interests?' Is that really the case, or is it just in </span>
  </em>
  <b>
    <em>your</em>
  </b>
  <em>
    <span> best interests to keep her like this?"</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>He only sighed. "If it means keeping the peace, then yes, it is in everyone's best interests. We can't have someone like her running around, spreading all this nonsense." </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>The woman crossed her arms. "You're punishing her as if she committed a grand felony! She's not a criminal. She's just a kid who made a dumb mistake. Do you really feel no guilt for leaving her in this state?" </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>The man only stared at her, not in the mood for this nonsense. "Honestly, no. A high tier like her with corrupted morals? Imagine what chaos she could rain down on everyone. In my opinion, she deserves this punishment."</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>In a flash, the woman had the male pinned to the wall, gripping his neck in anger. The chair in which he previously sat in tipped over and fell against the floor with a thud.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>The cop was enraged at this behavior on the woman's behalf. She may have been stronger than him, but that didn't give her the right to treat a law enforcement officer this way.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>"Let go of me at once!" His demand only fell on deaf ears.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>"Not until you tell me why! She's a KID! A CHILD! She has nothing to do with what is going on right now! She doesn't deserve to be left defenseless and without any answers! You have </span>
  </em>
  <b>
    <em>no</em>
  </b>
  <em>
    <span> right to hide this kind of information from her!" The man was shocked before he glared back at her, his ice cold gaze enough to make any regular elite tier tremble. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>In this case, it did little to sway the seething woman before him as he struggled in her grip. "It doesn't concern you!"</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>This only earned him a scoff. "That's the biggest joke I've ever heard. You know damn well it concerns me. Especially when it comes to her!" The man continued to struggle before his eyes started glowing.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>"I said: </span>
  </em>
  <b>
    <em>let go</em>
  </b>
  <em>
    <span>!" He grabbed her by the crown of her head and immediately, she went still, going slack. Shock ran throughout her body as she saw glimpses of memories pop through her vision and back into her mind. Her eyes glowed, a faint red dulling the bright hue of her own eyes before he shoved her back, his hold over her mind fading.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>She stumbled back and stared at the man in slight shock, gripping the table behind her.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>The person in question fixed his tie and brushed back his dull ruby locks as he looked over at her. "Even though you are a part of our unit for the time being, you are only here to help us in our bio-studies department. You don't have a say on anything we do outside of your field. You would be wise to keep your opinions to yourself."</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>The woman narrowed her eyes as she glared at him. "You still can't be serious! Do you honestly have no guilt for what you're doing?! You're tearing up a child's life and calling it a lesson!"</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>The man only shook his head. "As I said; you can save it. I'm not interested in hearing you preach to me about morals when you </span>
  </em>
  <b>
    <em>agreed</em>
  </b>
  <em>
    <span> to help with what your department is working on. You are just as much to blame for what happened as I am."</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>She clenched her fists as she shuddered in rage. "My fault...? I'm not the one who's actively using my work to harm people and strip them of a part of themselves. I'm not the one who's paranoid over a stupid book! You claim to want to help people yet so far, more people have died </span>
  </em>
  <b>
    <em>because</em>
  </b>
  <em>
    <span> of you! I never would have let any of you touch my work if I had known that </span>
  </em>
  <b>
    <em>this</em>
  </b>
  <em>
    <span> is what you were doing with it!"</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>The cop only stared at her. "People may have died, but it was a necessary sacrifice. Those people are criminals. They have nothing of value to society and are putting more and more people in danger. Besides, it's too late to change your mind. We have a deal."</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>The woman only shut her eyes. She didn't care about any contracts or promises she made to them. The only thing she cared about right now was the safety of those she loved.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Screw contracts. She wasn't going to let her morals be defined by a stupid sheet of inked up printer paper.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>"No, it isn't. I may have helped you, but I can just as easily destroy that."</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>The man only stared at her. "Would you really?" </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>The woman said nothing as she walked past him and reached for the door, attempting to leave and complete the task she had set her mind to.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>She didn't care how many agents she would have to take on. If it meant keeping more people out of harm's way, she would gladly put each and every one of them in the hospital.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>"Even if it meant risking your current partner's safety?"</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Her eyes widened as her hand stopped along the doorknob, beginning to shake. There was no way...he wouldn't dare to drag him into this, right?</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>They didn't need to get him involved. He had nothing to do with this. He was just a school nurse.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>But deep down, she knew they didn't care about bringing him into this freak show. "Y-you wouldn't..."</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>The red haired man only gave a small smirk in acknowledgement. "You think that we haven't been keeping an eye on all the researchers in the bio-studies department? You each all have your own files."</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>He pulled out a folder from his brown trench coat and opened it before pulling out photos. Immediately, she recognized the gentleman who accompanied her in those photos. "He seems to make you quite happy. If I were you, I wouldn't want anything to happen to him-"</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>The woman pinned him to the table, cracking the smooth, glass surface in the process. She was practically choking him as he struggled.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Her eyes glowed an almost radioactive green as the woman glared him down, growling through gritted teeth. "Don't you dare touch him you sick b*stard!" The man's eyes seemed to go dark before they lit up as he grabbed the crown of her head again. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Her hold on his throat loosened and he huffed, narrowing his eyes as air flowed back into his lungs. "Now...think about this rationally; would you really want to go against us and risk harm befalling your boyfriend? Imagine all the danger he'd be put in."</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>In an instant, she sunk to the floor, clutching her now throbbing skull as he let go of her. Tears dripped down her pale face as the man moved from his spot on the tinted glass that was now sporting a spiderweb crack across its once smooth surface.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>The woman trembled as she gasped for air, trying to calm the terrifying images that tumbled in her mind. They were images of her worst fears, of dark fantasies that she would never wish to happen to the man she cared about. Except now the cop knew all about them.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>She looked at the disgruntled brute in anger as he hovered over her. "Why would you drag him into this?! He's just a school nurse! He doesn't need to get involved with any of this!" He only glared her down as she rose back to her feet.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>"Easy: because I don't care. Your only use to us right now is to make progress on your work. We don't care what methods we have to use, but if it means keeping you in line, so be it." He grabbed the file off the table and snapped it shut.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>The cop only turned away from her as he started to head towards the door. "You may be a high tier, but even you have a </span>
  </em>
  <b>
    <em>weak point</em>
  </b>
  <em>
    <span>." She could only stare at him in shock as he walked away.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>With that, the man fixed his trench coat and threw open the door, only for it to slam shut behind him.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>The woman only stood there, still in mild shock. She felt herself lean back against the wall behind her and sink down until she sat on the floor.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>She didn't want to move from the spot she sat at, afraid that if she did, something more sinister would happen. She instead pulled her knees up to her chest, deciding to avoid everything for the time being. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>She didn't want to deal with anything right now...</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>How could she have let this happen? </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>The people she swore to protect were in danger thanks to her mistakes.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>She was in no position to challenge the company, let alone the authorities. Her sister had become their target and she had no way of changing it. And to top it all off, her boyfriend was now on their watch list.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>One small step out of line...and they could all be gone.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Staring down at her hands, she felt so useless, so helpless. She had all this raw power at her fingertips, and yet, she couldn't do a damn thing to protect anyone. He was right...she really was weak in this situation.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>She sighed as she shut her eyes. "Seraphina...wherever you are right now, please be safe...you and everyone at Wellston are in more danger than you think..."</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Leilah looked out the window as the sun proceeded to set, it's sparking flame dipping below the horizon and leaving the world submerged in midnight.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Something was coming. She didn't know what, but she knew that there would be no safe place left when it did.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>She had never found a reason to be scared before. Her whole life, every challenge she faced never left her afraid. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Nervous? Maybe. But she was never scared.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Right now though, she had never been more </span>
  </em>
  <b>
    <em>terrified</em>
  </b>
  <em>
    <span>.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Prologue End. </p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Rise n' Shine</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>
    <em>*BEEP*</em>
  </b>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <b>
    <em>*BEEP*</em>
  </b>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <b>
    <em>*BEEP*</em>
  </b>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The infernal screech of an alarm clock echoed throughout the dull grey room, its annoying melody alerting its slumbering owner of what time rested on its digital face.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>However, the person in question could care less about what time it was. To her, the clock was doing nothing but scolding her. 'It's 6:30! Time for school! Get up already!' It screamed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She took her fist and slammed it down on the snooze button, causing the unsuspecting device to tumble off its nightstand. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Poor clock didn't even see it coming.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She groaned as she sat up, sleep still in her eyes. It was barely even morning, the sun just starting its usual crawl over the horizon. The bright ball of fire had slowly started to allow its rays to peer in from the parted curtains but to the girl who stared at them, they didn't bring her warmth. Instead, they served as a general reminder of just what day it is.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The girl hated Mondays with a burning passion.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>If Monday were a person, she'd personally throw them out a window. Or hit them with a chair. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>One of those options.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was the end of the weekend and now she had to walk back into hel- school.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Homework, quizzes, bullies, and an overall gloomy atmosphere awaited her. Not to mention it was starting to get cold outside, making the early morning trudge across campus even more unbearable.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>There were days where she wished she didn't have to go, or at least just sleep in and show up late. But unfortunately, her roommate wouldn't allow it.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She looked up as she heard the familiar knock on her bedroom door, her roommate lightly tapping her knuckles against the painted wood.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Seraphina? Are you up yet? I made some orange juice for breakfast if you want some." The girl sighed at the presence of the muffled voice as she rose from her bed, her magenta hair sticking out in all directions. "I'm up Elaine! I'll be out there in a few minutes."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Once the footsteps subsided, Seraphina started her usual routine as she grabbed her uniform and her extensions. It took her awhile to get moving, but once she was ready and freshened up, she walked out to the kitchen. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The magenta haired girl plopped down into a bar stool by the counter as her blue haired friend looked over, holding a glass of orange juice and a croissant. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The bluette held them up slightly as if to ask a silent question.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Seraphina nodded. "Yeah, I'll have some." Elaine slid over the glass and the plate as she got her own breakfast out from the toaster.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sera immediately dug into the flaking pastry, enjoying its buttery taste. The orange juice was just as good too. Its sweet and citrusy flavor was like a smack in the face by liquid sunlight. It woke her up more than any alarm clock ever could. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sera had to hand it to her: Elaine could really work some magic in the kitchen.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Thanks Elaine. It's pretty good." The bluette nodded, happy that someone enjoyed what she made. "No problem Seraphina! I have to finish getting ready, but if you want to wait, we can walk to class together." Sera pondered it for a moment. It's not like she had anything better to do. "Sure, why not?" Elaine smiled before rushing off to finish getting ready for the day as Sera continued to eat.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>While Sera hated early mornings, she loved breakfast. It was a small comfort that she liked to indulge in often.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mornings like these held fond memories for her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She remembered that she and John would rush to the cafe first thing in the morning on Tuesdays and Thursdays to see what was being offered. Sometimes, there were amazing things to try like chocolate filled croissants and blueberry waffles.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Other times there were...not so great food items. The school's scrambled eggs were proof of that fact as John almost choked on the amount of pepper in them. He swore never to try them again, but did so anyways about a month later.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>When they weren't rushing to the cafe, Sera would take her time walking into school only to meet up with John during 3rd period. Most of the time on the roof, sometimes the infirmary. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Or if they both felt like it, they would ditch class during 7th period and head out early to Woaba Boba where John would talk about his latest endeavors dealing with bullies and living on the edge.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Moments like these are what made waking up worth it. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But now...</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Sera smiled sadly at the memories as she took another bite of her croissant.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>That's all it was now; a memory. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Her and John were worlds apart now, divided by his unseeing rage. They did almost everything together. Now, they felt like nothing to each other. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sera didn't want to ditch John. She cared about him too much to just leave him be or back away without a fight. But it was hard some days. It hurt to watch him act like this with no real way of helping him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sera couldn't help but think if some of these events were fake. She couldn't help but wonder if in these past two years with her best friend, that he ever meant all of it. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She knew that at least some of it was real. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>You can't fake certain things and those memories they shared, tired and barely moving at the crack of dawn to rush down to the cafeteria to grab breakfast, were some of them.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Right now though, she didn't know what to do with John. She didn't want to leave him to his own devices while in such a muddled state of mind, but she didn't want to potentially deal with his temper again. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The ravenette had become unpredictable, dangerous even. One minute, he could be collected and stone faced, the next, he could lash out at you in a hellish fury.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>With John so unhinged, she didn't want to risk her safety at that moment. She didn't want to know if John had it in him to hurt her. She needed to take a step back and think things through and it ended up giving her some clues to start solving the mystery that John was. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Talking to Claire gave her some ideas but it wasn't enough to piece everything together. There was still something missing. But even if she found it, would it be enough? </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>What then?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>What would she do once she had the answers she was searching for?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She really didn't know what she was expecting to find.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Even if Keon was the missing piece in Johns story, what would she do with that information? Its not like all their problems would be magically solved the second she discovered the truth. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>John would still be king, he would still be stuck in his own mind, and everyone around him would continue to suffer. Sera didn't know what she could possibly do. After all, John now viewed her as a lowly cripple. She had no impact over him anymore.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Sera sighed as she pushed her thoughts away for now.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It didn't help to dwell on this so early in the morning. 'I can solve this another time. Right now, I have more important matters to attend to.'</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>While she didn't know what to do about John, she knew what to do about her abilities. She had to find Terrance and get some answers about what happened that night. She wasn't going to stop until she had that information.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sera finished her breakfast and gulped down the rest of her orange juice before placing her plate and cup in the sink. She placed her phone safely in her pocket as she grabbed a thin sweater to wear over her uniform. She picked up her bag before walking out the door with Elaine, who surprisingly wasn't wearing a jacket, but rather a thin scarf.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Elaine? Aren't you forgetting something?" The girl in question tilted her head. "What do you mean?" Sera gestured to her uniform. "It's most likely cold outside. Don't you want a sweater or something?" Elaine shook her head. "I'll be fine. It's not that cold outside anyways."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sera raised an eyebrow but just shrugged it off. The blue haired girl often worked in strange and un-coordinated ways and Sera found that it was best not to question it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Making their way down the stairs, they bumped into Wellston's current queen as she emerged from her dorm room.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The electric girl was already wide awake and ready to go. Remi was normally half asleep at this hour so seeing her in such an upbeat state was interesting. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Remi spotted the two heading her way as she shut her door, juggling the small bag of board games in her hands. "Good morning guys!" The pinkette jogged over to the two, a bright smile on her face. Elaine smiled back. "Good morning Remi. You seem wide awake for this hour."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Remi nodded as she fixed her scarf around her neck. "Yup! Last night, Isen, Blyke and I came up with the great plan of having a game competition at the Safe House meeting after school. We figured it would give everyone a chance to get to know each other better as well as release any stress. I'm really excited for it."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Elaine nodded. "Ooh, that sounds fun! What games do you guys have?" "There's already a few board games but we found Twist, Connect 8, and even Scrab Tiles!" </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Seraphina raised an eyebrow upon hearing about the last popular board game. "You sure Scrab Tiles is a wise game to bring? Remember what happened between Blyke and Isen when they played it in the cafeteria last year?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Remi raised an eyebrow as she looked up in thought.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>/</span>
  <em>
    <span>flashback</span>
  </em>
  <span>/</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Remi walked in through the door of the cafeteria, making a b-line straight for the dessert section. Luckily she was fairly early so she managed to snag a slice of triple chocolate cake.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>She had already gotten lunch earlier but she still wanted to get the delicious cake before having to leave for class.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>As she walked over to grab a fork to take with her, she saw her best friends hovering over a board of sorts, deep in thought. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>She debated on whether or not to leave them be, eventually deciding to head over to them. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>As she began walking up to them however, she could hear the volume of their conversation increase and their movements becoming more animated.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Upon closer inspection, she realized they were playing Scrab Tiles, a game that tested how well you could spell and gave your friends bragging rights if they could beat you with longer words.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>According to how Blyke was now starting to get more heated and the smug smirk Isen had on his face, she could only assume that the red-head was losing.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>"Isen, I can't go! You locked the board for me!" She saw the orange haired male sigh. "Dude, all you need is an L."</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Before she could walk up next to them, Blyke threw his hands up, seeming to be done with whatever shenanigans his best friend was pulling. "Isen, come on! Does it sound like I have an L in any of my remaining letters?!"</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>The other teen rested his hand in his open palm. "Bro, seriously, do you have an L or not?" Blyke proceeded to stand up and slam his hands down on the table, the tiles rocking back and forth on the board. "WHAT PART OF </span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>YUUNAVA</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span> MAKES YOU THINK I HAVE AN L?!"</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Isen stood up and did the same. "WELL MAYBE IT'S A SILENT L!"</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Remi remembered staring and watching as they continued to argue, beginning to throw insults and things becoming physical.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Isen knocked over a chair.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Blyke flipped the board. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Isen started chucking tiles at him.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Pretty soon, they were rough housing and fighting on the floor like the idiots they were. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Blyke managed to wack Isen with the game board as Isen smacked the red-head with the entire bag of tiles. "YOU'RE SUCH A PAIN IN THE *SS ISEN!" "AT LEAST I KNOW HOW TO ACTUALLY SPELL CATAWAMPUS UNLIKE </span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>SOMEONE</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span> AROUND HERE!" "THAT'S IT! GET OVER HERE YOU LITTLE SH*T!"</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>All everyone in the cafeteria could do was watch as the two grappled each other on the floor, backing away from the feuding elite-tiers in all their crack-head glory.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>The queen had just shook her head at her friends before leaving with her slice of chocolate cake.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>/flashback end/</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Remi looked at the other girls as she laughed, a hint of uncertainty in her voice.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Nah. You make a valid point, but I think we'll be fine. I'm sure people won't get as upset over a game like they do...hopefully..." The two looked at her but said nothing in return as they walked out the main door.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The three girls exited the building to be met with the chilly morning air. A paper thin layer of frost covered the ground, leaving all the changing leaves and the cold grass covered in frozen dew. The courtyard they were in was still cast in shadow as the sun had yet to rise high enough to cast some light and thaw out the plant life.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sera yawned slightly and shook her shoulders out as the morning air brushed her face. She didn't hate the brisk weather, but would rather enjoy it when the sun was actually visible in the sky. Regardless, it was a nice change of pace.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Remi inhaled and exhaled, enjoying the fresh feeling that invigorated her with the frozen atmosphere. She loved mornings like these and enjoyed the early morning walk through the still quiet campus.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Elaine on the other hand bounced on the balls of her feet as she rubbed her arms, her nose and ears already red from the numbing air. "EEP! It's s-s-so c-cold!"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Seraphina watched as her breath manifested in front of them in faint, smoky puffs. "Eh, it's not too bad Elaine. Though if you want, you can run upstairs and grab something really fast." The bluette only shook her head, determined to face the cold weather. "I-I'm g-good! B-besides...the s-sooner we g-get inside the s-school, the b-better!"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Remi nodded as she looked at her phone. "Yeah, we should probably get going. It's already 7:00 and you know how busy the halls can get when everyone's running late. Besides, I have to meet up with Isen to finish getting the Safe House ready for the end of the day."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>With that, the three girls started their morning trek across campus. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Elaine and Remi chatted as Sera tuned them out, focusing on watching the sun starting to rise above the horizon and warm the world around them. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Chapter One: end. </p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Daybreak</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Wellston Private High school was bathed in a golden light as the early morning began. The earth had started to warm and the dew began to thaw as the sun pulled itself up into the sky.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Despite the change in weather, students still stumbled their way down the sidewalks and onto school grounds, their obligations to classes outweighing their need for sleep.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Watching this scene from the roof, Arlo couldn't help but wonder why he was up there at such an early hour. The blonde didn't have any reason or right to call the roof his own. He no longer had the right to loom over everyone that began walking in the gates or to watch the sky change colors. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Now that he was no longer a royal, he wouldn't be allowed up here anymore.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A part of him was going to miss this. Spending early mornings sipping his coffee while watching the sunrise. He could normally do whatever he wanted in the mornings. Now though, he had no place up in the clouds, not with his title in the hands of another.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>John was officially king now, rank one. He had the school clutched in his fingertips and with it, the royals. But who was going to listen to him? He may be at the top, but to Arlo, he still only had as much use as a cripple and was only as useful as his mouth. The ravenette couldn't get a single thing done on his own and had little to no reasoning for how he went about things.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>None of the royals or high tiers wanted to listen to such an aggressive and loud-mouthed idiot and the other tiers didn't want a maniac sitting on the throne.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But it was too late. Rules were rules and even Arlo had to follow them.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>There was a part of him that was actually relieved to have the burden of being king off his shoulders. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was empowering being at the top, but when you're king, you have to do so much to keep everyone in line. You have to sacrifice your time, your energy and even a bit of sanity to get anything done.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Being king for almost three years was nothing short of a miracle. Arlo had relished in being able to keep most of the school under lock and key.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Now, he strangely felt free somehow; maybe even a bit relived. He had nothing holding him back anymore, nothing tying him to the hierarchy. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Arlo sighed as he took a sip of his coffee, to which he almost choked on when he heard the door to the roof open. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The blonde was half expecting a certain ravenette to come walking through the door, ready to toss him off. However, his mild shock turned into relief when he saw that it was just Isen. The orange haired male looked up, slightly surprised at the blonde being on the roof at this hour. "Arlo? Uh...sorry, didn't expect to see you here."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Arlo sighed. "What are you doing here Isen?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Isen rubbed his neck. "Oh, I was looking for someone else."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Arlo nodded slightly. "Remi I take it?" The other teen nodded. "Yeah...I tried calling her but she wasn't picking up. Anyways, I'll just leave..."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The teen was prepared to walk straight back out the door when the blonde stopped him. "Isen, stay. Who knows when you're ever going to get the chance to come back up here." </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He looked at the former king, still uncertain. "You sure? If you want some time alone, I can just come back lat-" "Isen." The orange haired male took that as his que to shut up, eventually joining Arlo as they watched the sky through the fenced wall.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Isen peered down below them. "Didn't think you would be up here after everything..."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Arlo shrugged and took a sip of his coffee. "After today, I won't be. I just wanted to enjoy this one last time." Isen only nodded, keeping his questions to himself.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>An uncomfortable silence eventually loomed over them. Arlo could tell Isen had something on his mind. "I take it something's troubling you?" The teen opened his mouth to say no but stopped after a second.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Instead, Isen sighed and rested a hand on the fence, lacing his fingers through the wire. "Yeah..." The blonde looked at the other male, impatiently waiting for him to speak. Isen eventually let his thoughts flow. "This whole situation feels so stupid..." </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Arlo raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean by that? You barely had a hand in this madness." Isen looked back, his face holding a somber expression, one that the former head of the school press rarely showed. "I mean that this whole situation could have been avoided."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Arlo set his coffee down on the ledge. "Isen, even if we avoided John, there would've been no guarantee that he wouldn't eventually snap. Just accept it; there's nothing we can do." </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Isen gazed down. "Arlo, don't you feel slightly bothered by this? Cecile is Jack, you and Blyke are off the roster and this school is falling apart by the hands of a mad man."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Arlo looked away slightly. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As much as he hated the position they've been placed in, this was their new reality. He wouldn't admit it out loud, but he wanted nothing to do with the state of the school. He couldn't do anything even if he wanted to. "Isen, these past few months have been nothing </span>
  <b>but</b>
  <span> a nightmare. Things have gone from bad to worse and nothing we could've done would've changed it. I don't know if you've noticed, but I'm not king anymore."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He looked back over as Isen plopped himself down on the ground. "Arlo, we screwed up. Even you have to admit that. I get that John is an absolute psychopath, but we still could have done more to stop this from happening. You may not be king anymore, but the students are still looking up to you for guidance. They can't look up to someone like </span>
  <em>
    <span>him</span>
  </em>
  <span>!"</span>
</p>
<p><span>Arlo rolled his eyes. "John is the strongest among us and those who have the power, stand at the top. Whether we like it or not, he is the </span><em><span>king</span></em><span>,</span> <span>Isen. It didn't matter if he took the throne when he got here or when I graduated. We can't change the fact that he's stronger than us. I can't do anything Isen. It's out of my hands."</span></p>
<p>
  <span>Isen leaned his head back against the concrete wall. He knew the blonde was right, but deep down, he really wished the ex-king wasn't.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Isen stared up at the sky, losing himself in thought. "Arlo, what can we do?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Arlo let a small 'tsk!' escape his lips before looking over at the male. "How should I know Isen? I don't have the answer to everything!" Isen moved back a bit, surprised at the ex-king's words. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The blonde sighed and looked away. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>What was he supposed to say? He was just one person yet everyone acted like he was this all-knowing god who could solve every problem that came their way. "Truly Isen, how am I supposed to know? I'm not a fortune teller. I can't solve everyone's problems. Besides, why should anyone trust my judgement right now?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Isen just looked at Arlo, not knowing how to take this information. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He wouldn't say that Arlo was as bad as John, but he wasn't a great king either. He had let things slowly slide into chaos over personal agendas. Arlo pushed people into molds they could never fit or fill. It was his way or no way and Isen hated that part about the blonde. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But right now, he would take that over Johns wrath any day.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The two jumped a little as they heard the vibration of a phone, cutting their conversation short. Isen quickly pulled his device out of his pocket as it continued to vibrate. "Ah, it's Remi." He quickly picked up with a 'Whatsup?' before Remi's voice poured over the line. "Mhmm...ok. Arlo's here as well. Do you want him down there too? Ok. Yeah, we'll meet you there." He looked up at the blonde as he hung up.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Remi wants us to meet up with her to help finish setting up the safe house since we're opening after school today." Arlo nodded. "Let's get going then. I don't want to overstay our welcome." Isen nodded before standing up and brushing himself off. The two of them walked out the door and briskly made their way downstairs to the second floor. Arlo took one last look at the scenery behind him before turning away and leaving.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As much as Arlo was glad to finally have a bit of freedom, there were some things about being king that he would miss.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Being at school early really had its perks. Fewer students meant no clogged up hallways and no clogged hallways meant all the space to walk as you please.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>When you have hundreds upon hundreds of students packed into one building like a can of sardines, finding space for yourself becomes one hell of a challenge.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>That's where school clubs come in. They were places to enjoy your talent, a place to unwind before or after a chaotic day. Though clubs varied greatly at Wellston. There was anything from sports to books, to even video games. There was almost always something for someone.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Arlo passed by all the classrooms that were already bustling with activity. People in drama club were rehearsing for a play as they belted out lines from Spearshake.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The students in art club were quietly focusing on their canvases while getting lost in the music from their headphones. As the two passed by, Isen could hear a student gasp before yelling out a concoction of slurs as the sound of something spilling all over the floor was heard. "Dammit Kairina! It looks like a murder happened in here!" "Well how was I supposed to know that some *sshole stored the red paint away without a lid?! Can someone grab me a towel or better yet, another uniform?!" Isen cringed at what the scene must've looked like.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Even though the music club had begun to wrap up as they were passing by, Arlo could see a student with neon salmon hair with bright yellow tips, rocking out on an electric guitar. She was putting her heart and soul into one hell of a cover of 'What I've done' by Lincoln Park. He could hear the other students singing along to the lyrics and cheering as she continued playing. The ex-king would admit that it would've been a good performance...until he saw the girl step on her aux cord and disconnect it. The speakers popped as the sound cut out before she reached the last chorus. The class groaned in disappointment as the girl facepalmed herself.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Soon, they came across room 224. Upon arriving, they found Remi already setting up board games and stuff of similar nature.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Remi looked up and beamed at them. "Hey guys! Just in time! I need some help moving the laptop tower over to the socket." </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Isen's eyebrows went up as he saw the pristine set of laptops sitting towards the corner of the room. "L-Laptop tower?! When the hell did we get one of those?!" Remi shrugged. "Dunno. Keene said they had an extra charging tower and since there's going to be a lot of students here who might need them for work and stuff, he allowed us to have it."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He only shook his head in disbelief. "Keene either has a lot of faith in us, or he really does not care about these laptops...I just hope they don't get wrecked. I'm a broke high school student and I don't have the cash to pay for this..."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Remi only stared at him. "Isen, we go to a school where at least one wall gets blown up every day. I'm pretty sure they can afford a few $500 laptops. Not only that, I'm not the one who has a hoarding obsession with pens and goes out to buy a new one almost every week."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Isen was about to come back with an argument, but found that he had none. Instead, he only sighed and slumped his shoulders. "Fiiiine...but if those break and they ask us to pay, don't expect me to chip in!" Remi rolled her eyes but chuckled.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Arlo and Isen carefully rolled the laptop stand over to the wall and plugged it in. Isen checked that all the laptops were charging before standing up. "Alright, we're all set." Remi smiled. "Thanks Ise-" She stopped midway as she heard the door slam open, revealing a very tired and grumpy looking red-head.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"B-Blyke?" The male in question was a mess. His tie hung loosely around his neck, he had bags under his eyes and half his hair was sticking up on one side. If they didn't know any better, they would've thought the teen had just risen from his grave instead of his bed. "Sorry I'm late...I overslept." Remi waved her hands slightly. "No, no, it's ok! There wasn't much left to do anyways. We're just setting up the laptops and games." </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Blyke nodded. "Do we need any more chairs or things like that?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Remi shook her head. "Nope. We have almost everything except some chalk for the boards in case anyone wants to write or just goof around with them. Anyways, I was planning on stopping by the cafe and grabbing us all some breakfast or something. You want anything?" </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Blyke covered his mouth as he yawned. "Yeah...I'll take a large coffee, extra espresso please." Isen gave a dramatic gasp. "Who are you and what have you done with the </span>
  <b>real</b>
  <span> Blyke?!"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Blyke only looked at the three of them in confusion. "What?" Remi raised her eyebrows. "Uh...it's just...we've never seen or heard you like coffee before. Usually you have tea or juice first thing in the morning." </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The red-head only stared at them. "I need caffeine. I'm not going to stay awake without it." The girl only looked at him before looking at the others. "Anything you guys want?" Arlo and Isen both just wanted a bagel and coffee. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Remi nodded, leaving to grab everything before the cafeteria started filling up.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>...</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Focused eyes peered eagerly around the corner, his gaze locked on the lightning rod that was walking away. He was hidden behind a row of lockers, completely out of sight and out of range from her passive. He carefully crouched down and pulled out his radio from his belt.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"She's in my sights...should I engage?" A voice crackled over the small box in his hand. </span>
  <em>
    <span>{"Negative."}</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His eyes widened in shock. "What? But she's a target on our list. Didn't the boss want us to take care of her?" </span>
  <em>
    <span>{"Please. She's barely a threat right now and even then, we'd have no problem with her. We have bigger fish to fry."}</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He bit his lip. "Ma'am, what if she,or any of the others for that matter, catch on? I'll have to take care of them." It was silent for a minute before the voice piped up again.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>{"No. We don't have time. The boss wanted us to make sure we had </span>
  </em>
  <b>
    <em>them</em>
  </b>
  <em>
    <span> in one room before they make their move. If you pull your usual sh*t, we could lose our only opportunity. We are </span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>this</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span> close and I will </span>
  </em>
  <b>
    <em>not</em>
  </b>
  <em>
    <span> have you f*cking anything up today. Don't screw this up, or I'll personally hand you over to the boss myself. Is that clear?"}</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Immediately, he went pale but nodded his head. "A-Alright...I understand..." </span>
  <em>
    <span>{"Good. Now, go scout out the main entrance and alert us once you see him."}</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"On it..." With that, he shut off the device before he blended back in with his surroundings, out of sight and out of mind. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Chapter 2: end.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Shadows</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Walking back into the press room felt like a nice welcome home to Cecile. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Not only was she Jack now, but she also had her press freedom back. Isen was no longer head of the school newspaper, Arlo was off the throne and best of all, she had a hundred stories to look over, ready for release. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>For her, life couldn't get much better right now. She had a stride in her step and every student in the room knew the reason behind it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Cecile rounded the main desk and sat down in her seat as she looked over at the other students in attendance. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Though classes had already begun, the school press was open for business in the mornings. As long as students handed in their work on time, their teachers could care less if they showed up. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The press had enforced a policy that unless you were an elite tier or higher, students needed a certain GPA in the classes they were skipping in order to continue writing.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>For the school newspaper, it was an unspoken rule; if you care enough to join the press, you'll care enough to get your work in on time.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Once everyone had settled into their seats or stood by the walls, holding their notebooks and other sheets of paper, Cecile stood up and looked at all of them, violet eyes scanning the familiar crowd.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Alright everyone! As you've all probably heard, I'm manning the press again. Things will continue on as normal which means, your due date for any entries for this weeks paper is still today. I better see your reports by the time class is over. And they </span>
  <b>better</b>
  <span> not have any spelling errors." Faces paled and heads nodded as she smirked slightly. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Cecile was no sadist, but she did find a certain buzz about watching the class squirm as they fearfully rushed to find and correct any mistakes that were missed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>People scrammed as they started writing or rushing to the dusty printer that sat in the back of the room, trying to print out whatever copies they needed. Cecile watched as two students argued over who got to use the aging equipment, only to panic when they found out it was out of ink.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As that was going on, Cecile sat back and read through submission after submission. While some topics caught her eye, others did little to impress her. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>'Safe house opening? No. John would have my head for that. Kovoro mall sale? Boring. Concert Night with Music club? ...not bad. It could be useful for a second story. Ex-Royals in disarray?' </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Cecile took a closer look before smirking. She was always a sucker for gossip. While she valued her title and her ability to put the truth out to the students, she couldn't resist a catchy story. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eventually as time went on, she ran into the all too familiar problem of different students submitting the same story. Cecile read through yet another submission about how a senior had snuck into the teachers lounge to heat up a hot pocket and almost blew up the microwave. She wouldn't call it the story of the year, but it would definitely catch everyone's attention. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Unfortunately, with multiple submissions meant she had to choose only one and break the news to the other two that someone submitted the same story. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She could only see their reactions now.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Fights would break out and they would beat each other senseless. They may even beg or bribe Cecile for their version of the story to go through. But in the end, Cecile would only choose the version with the best grammar and the best wording.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It's just how things work in the press. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She continued to sort the submissions into piles as students continued to hand in their stories, periodically asking for her opinion or any advice she may have. She eventually started sorting the stories into different piles.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>There was one for the sports section, the club section, the general school changes etc. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Then there was the discard pile with stories that either were too...raunchy...for the paper, had countless mistakes, or just weren't interesting to begin with. Just like the one she was staring at. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She almost facepalmed herself. 'Seriously, who writes a story on the day and life of the headmaster?! Everyone already knows who he is and what he does. It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure that out.' She quickly stacked it among the other discarded stories.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Unfortunately, that pile was almost tipping over from how many submissions were stacked together. She would have to get on the other writers over grammar and spell check at the next meeting. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Cecile didn't mind though. This is what she loved to do an she was glad to have her calling back.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eventually, she took a break and sat back, looking up from her various mountains of papers that she had finally sorted through. Her desk looked like the printer blew up, leaving almost no part of the wood surface showing. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As she looked around, she noticed she was the only person left in the silent room. Everyone else had departed for a class of some sort and the second wave of students would be coming soon, meaning she would have to be ready for another round of work. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Cecile sighed and was ready to get up and grab a drink when she got the uneasy feeling that something was watching her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Being spied upon wasn't a foreign feeling to her. It wouldn't be the first time someone tried to spy on the press. They had plenty of competitors and students who wanted to hear about the new gossip first hand. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She would've thought it was nothing were it not for the fact she heard the floor creak a little. She rolled her eyes, thinking she knew who it was. "Terrence, I know you're there. Quit sneaking in here like that. It's really creepy."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>No answer.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Cecile rolled her eyes. "Terrence, get over here. I don't have time for your games." She turned her attention as a small gust passed by her face, causing a pile of papers to flop off the desk. Cecile swore under her breath as she picked up the fallen sheets. "Seriously, knock it off already! Do you know how long it took me to sort through all of this?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nothing. Cecile thought she heard a faint chuckle as another stack of papers tumbled off the desk.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She didn't see anyone though or hear footsteps. "Come on, this isn't funny. If you don't show yourself right now, I'm going to kick your *ss."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Still nothing.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She sighed. There was no use in wasting her time trying to catch the young teens attention if this is how he was going to act. She could just deal with his ridiculous behavior later.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Cecile was about to go and grab her coffee when she saw </span>
  <em>
    <span>it</span>
  </em>
  <span>. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A shadow...</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>This wasn't a normal shadow though. The corner of the room had become shrouded in mist, the very back almost pitch black. The room itself even felt a bit colder as she stared at it. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Cecile swore something was moving, watching her even.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The teal haired girl didn't know what, but this shadow felt...unnatural. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She knew Terrence could turn himself invisible, but something didn't feel right. This wasn't something that Terrence could do with his abilities.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The shadow practically loomed in the corner as it seemed to pulse, almost looking like it was alive.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Something about this shadow was unnerving. Cecile didn't know why, but she felt like whatever it was, was watching her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>While Terrence liked to play the occasional prank, he </span>
  <em>
    <span>never</span>
  </em>
  <span> played pranks on Cecile. Even then, this didn't feel like something that Terrence could pull off. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But if it wasn't him, who else could it be?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Terrence...?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She slowly got up and started walking towards the shaded corner. The shadow seemed to shift slightly as Cecile got closer. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Almost like it was reaching out towards her... </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Cecile wasn't afraid. She knew she could take on whatever was there. But that didn't calm her nerves over the fact that ultimately, something was there in the press room with her. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She was about to reach out to it when she felt someone tap her shoulder from behind. She jumped and was ready to sucker punch the person, grabbing their collar. "WOAH! Hold up, it's just me!"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The teal haired girl relaxed as she let go of the orange haired teen. "Isen, what the hell are you doing here?!" The teen held up a stapled packet of papers. "Am I not allowed to hand in my report? I get that we're not on good terms, but whether you like it or not, I'm still a member of the press!" </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Cecile took the paper and sighed before placing it down on the submission pile. She wouldn't deny him the proper chance to put in a good story, despite his ties with Arlo. He was one of the best writers they had after all. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"You didn't have to sneak up on me like that though Isen!" Isen held up his hands slightly. "I didn't. I tried calling you but you weren't saying anything. You were just staring at that back corner." Cecile looked back at said corner, expecting to still see whatever it was.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Instead of seeing whatever she saw, she just saw the pile of books that had collected in the corner as the sun peered through the blinds.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Cecile bit her lip a little. "Isen? Can you scan the room really quick?" The teen raised an eyebrow. "Why? There's nothing-" He wanted to ask further but the look that Cecile was giving him made him decide not to question it. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He activated his ability, but found there to be no one else in the room. "No one else here besides you and me."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The girl sighed. 'It was probably just a trick of the light then.' Isen stared at the girl while raising an eyebrow. "Cecile? You ok? You seem zoned out." </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>While Isen and the others weren't on good terms with Cecile, that didn't mean he didn't care about her well-being. He did think that she was the better press leader despite being in the position previously. Even though she could be a sneaky b*tch, Isen still respected her skills.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The girl shook her head and sighed. "Yeah, I'm just half asleep. Thought I saw some stupid shadows. I need a cup of coffee." Isen nodded. "Can I tag along? Re -er- a friend of mine accidentally got me decaf." </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Cecile shrugged. "If you insist." Normally she would say no, but she couldn't help the feeling that they were still being watched. She'd rather have Isen's company right now than none at all.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Isen followed her out of the room. As they left, Cecile took one last look at the room, that uneasy feeling still lingering in her mind.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>
  <b>
    <em>"̶͊͜'̶͖̅Ś̶͈t̷͖́u̶̢͠p̵̯̾í̴̪d̶͓͘ ̵̼͆s̶͇͆h̴̻̚â̸͎d̶̦̏ọ̸̄ẉ̶̓s̶̝̿?̴̭̍'̵̩̏ ̷̹͝M̵̡͘ő̸̼r̴̲̂e̵̘͒ ̴̖̂l̷͎̉ï̶ͅk̴̛͙e̶͕͒ ̷͙̃s̶̹̃ẗ̷̟́ȗ̷̺p̵̗̍i̷̳͝d̶͉͑ ̶̬́c̶͈̄h̸̗̿ì̵͉l̵̺͑d̵̦r̸̤̾ę̴͋n̴̖͠.̵̳"̶͔̉</em>
  </b>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Silver talons manifested themselves and plucked a set of papers off one of the lingering piles on the table. The discarded pile to be exact. The owner rolled their scarlet eyes as they scanned over its poorly written contents. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>However, the photo adorning the front of the article was the only evidence they wanted. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>To those kids, it was just more garbage.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>But, as someone once said; one mans trash is another mans treasure. This time was no different.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Scarred lips pulled into a cruel smirk as they eyed the photo. Eventually, they stuffed the papers in their pocket. 'The boss will be pleased to see this.'</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>As quickly as they appeared, they left, the room once again silent.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Chapter 3: end.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Warnings</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The wind had started to pick up, throwing leaves of various types against the windows adorning the school. It was actually quite relaxing to listen to. </p>
<p>To Keene, that paired with sitting right next to the wall heater by Darren's desk was the perfect way for him to relax on his lunch break.</p>
<p>It was a blissful state for him. </p>
<p>That was, until the grumpy man across from him had grown tired of the silence deciding to instigate a conversation for once.</p>
<p>Doc downed the contents of his coffee cup before slamming it down on the desk with such force, Keene thought he was going to break it.</p>
<p>Said man jumped and almost choked on his apple. "Wh-*cough* *cough* What the hell man?! *cough*" He eventually calmed down as Darren sighed. "I'm getting real tired of all this bullsh*t." Keene only deadpanned at him. "When are you not tired of the bullsh*t?" </p>
<p>He coughed a bit before looking back at the man. "And for the love of all things sane, why didn't you just say so instead of almost making me choke to death?!" Darren rolled his eyes. "Oh please, you wouldn't have died." </p>
<p>Keene shook his head. "I would have because knowing you, you would just laugh until having to do the Heimlich maneuver. And by that point, I'd be <em>dead</em>."</p>
<p>Darren sighed as he looked over a few papers. "Dramatic much?" Keene chuckled. "Well, fun fact; I actually enrolled here as a theater teacher." If Darren had more coffee, he would have almost spat it back out. "Hold up, what?!" </p>
<p>The groundskeeper laughed at the doctor's reaction as he took a bite of his apple. "Yup. I was originally going to be a theater teacher, but the position closed. However, Vaughn saw my skill set and said he'd hire me for a separate position if I was interested."</p>
<p>Darren rolled his eyes. "Well that explains a few things." Keene only grumbled as he bit down on the fruit resting in his palm.</p>
<p>Upon hearing the headmaster's name, Darren looked down sightly. He would never say this out loud, but he always thought that the headmaster was out of his mind. He still respected the man, but it was hard t trust him with how many poor choices he's been making. </p>
<p>"Also...speaking of the headmaster Keene, I know it's not my place to ask, but why is Vaughn still letting this continue? The other teachers and I have been talking and we're all concerned. Kids are still getting hurt and John is still on a rampage yet Vaughn isn't doing anything to stop this."</p>
<p>The groundskeeper raised an eyebrow. "Hm? Well, truly Darren, I don't know. At least not entirely. I have a small hunch but I don't want to say anything unless I'm sure."</p>
<p>Darren leaned back in his seat and rubbed his face. "Keene, I want to trust him, but with how shady he is and with so many students coming in here, it's hard not to question his motives. Not to mention he's always keeping an eye out for anyone with even a remote connection to the authorities. Doesn't that seem a little suspicious to you?" </p>
<p>Keene looked at Darren before leaning back in his seat as well. "Darren, I see what you mean. Believe me, I'm just as worried about all of this as well. But for now, we have to trust him. I know he seems like a shady man, but he probably knows more about the situation than we do."</p>
<p>The groundskeeper took another bite of his apple. "Though in all honesty Darren, don't you think it's kind of wise to have the authorities out of the picture for the time being? Especially given everything that's been happening the past few months?"</p>
<p>The school nurse snapped his head over. "What? How can you say that Keene? The authorities are just trying to do their best. Why would Vaughn even want to keep them away from the school if it was for anything but privacy reasons?"</p>
<p>The groundskeeper raised an eyebrow. "Darren, think about it; Ember is composed of highly powerful and dangerous people. They've been around for almost a year now and the authorities have made little to no progress, stating that it's 'confidential information.' Honestly, why would they though? Ember is technically doing them a favor by killing off vigilantes. Why would they find a reason to get rid of an organization that's actually helping them?"</p>
<p>The man's eyes widened. "Keene, don't tell me...do you honestly think they're...?" Keene only fixed his glasses. "I can't say for sure Darren. But one thing is certain: if even <em>I </em>am having a bad feeling that these two groups are connected, Vaughn is most likely thinking the same thing."</p>
<p>Darren looked down slightly as the groundskeeper went on. "The authorities didn't have a genuine reason for protecting vigilantes. They are only viewed as a nuisance. But with EMBER wandering around and killing them off like flies, their 'superhero' problem is being solved."</p>
<p>Honestly, it still all sounded ludicrous to the doctor. The authorities were just trying to protect them right? Despite the fact that superheroes were a problem in society, they were still high tiers and their deaths were still disturbing to hear about. Even if EMBER was technically helping them, why would the authorities aid the same people who were just making their jobs more difficult in the long run?</p>
<p>Darren sighed. "But again, it's just a hunch right? Maybe this is all just one big coincidence. Besides, doesn't that sound a bit far fetched? The authorities are trying to protect us from EMBER. Why would they be helping the same people who are causing them so many issues?" </p>
<p>Keene only shrugged. "Again Darren, it's just a hunch." He eventually chucked his apple core into the trash bin. "Anyways, moving on from that, how have things been with your girlfriend? You haven't said anything about her lately."</p>
<p>Darren sighed but Keene didn't miss the faint shift in the grouchy mans mood. "Things have been good. We had coffee last weekend after she got off of work."</p>
<p>"Sounds nice. At least she's not giving you the cold shoulder after your last date." Darren narrowed his eyes. "She wasn't giving me the cold shoulder. She was just busy with work. Besides, at least I <em>have</em> a girlfriend."</p>
<p>Keene was about to let the man have it when he felt a prescience enter school grounds. "Hm?" The man stood up, not recognizing the presence. </p>
<p>Darren raised an eyebrow. "Everything alright Keene?" The man nodded. "Yeah. Just a visitor. Let me go see what they want."</p>
<p>.</p>
<p>.</p>
<p>.</p>
<p>Keene stepped out into the brisk weather as he exited the main entrance. </p>
<p>Upon approaching, he saw a man standing there with a envelope in his hands, fidgeting nervously as he waited for the groundskeeper to speak with him. Already, Keene felt suspicious. </p>
<p>The man jumped slightly as the groundskeeper approached him. "Can I help you sir?" </p>
<p>The man nodded. "Y-Yeah...I was told to deliver this to headmaster Vaughn." Keene eyed the man. Vaughn hadn't warned him of anyone delivering the mail which was already another flag for him. Even then, it was never delivered directly to the gate. </p>
<p>Keene crossed his arms, sizing the man up. "We have a mailbox by the gate if you need to drop anything off." </p>
<p>The man only shrunk down more before he started pulling out an orange packet marked 'URGENT' and showed it to the groundskeeper. </p>
<p>"It was marked as urgent delivery. I would've left it there were it not for the fact I was told to deliver it immediately...I'm sorry. I was just told to get this here as quickly as possible..." </p>
<p>Keene looked at the man before sighing. While he didn't trust him, the mailman wasn't that much of a threat. At most, he appeared to be a low tier. No use in going out of his way to hurt the man over doing his job. </p>
<p>Keene nodded. "It's alright. But I have to take proper security measures. I'm sure you can understand that a random man showing up at the gates without an appointment, can seem a little suspicious to most, right?" The man only nodded slightly as Keene held out his hand for the packet. "I can take it to Vaughn if I may." </p>
<p>The man only muttered a small 'sure' and handed the packet over to Keene before leaving, not wanting anymore to do with the school or its staff for the day. </p>
<p>As he walked back in, Keene briefly peered at the senders address. He did a double take and held it up to get a better look, trying to make sure his eyes weren't playing tricks on him. His eyes widened in shock. "Oh no..."</p>
<p>He quickly tucked the packet under his arm and sprinted back inside, making a b-line for Vaughn's office. </p>
<p>.</p>
<p>.</p>
<p>.</p>
<p>Vaughn sat at his desk as he sipped at his coffee. He looked out the window as he stared at the scenery surrounding the school. </p>
<p>Running a prestigious school was no small task so his days were understandably packed. He enjoyed whatever small moments he could get to himself such as this.   </p>
<p>Upon hearing a knock at his door, he placed the small cup down. "Come in."</p>
<p>He wasn't surprised to see the groundskeeper walk in. The man wiped his forehead with the back of his hand. Keene wasn't the most athletic so he was exhausted after sprinting up a few flights of stairs. "Sir, this just came in for you." Vaughn raised an eyebrow as he took the envelope from Keene. Upon seeing the senders address, he grit his teeth slightly and tore it open. </p>
<p>He skimmed over the packet before his eyes widened a little. Vaughn set the packets down before looking at the groundskeeper, trying to think things through.</p>
<p>Eventually, he broke the silence. "They're coming here Keene...the authorities are coming." The groundskeeper shuddered slightly. They both knew the authorities would want to pay them a visit at some point, but they never expected it to be so soon.</p>
<p>He only sighed as he looked at the groundskeeper. "Keene, I want you to keep all students on school grounds until they have finished their visit. I don't want any students leaving the campus after 6:00 pm and they should all be in their dorms by 8:00 pm. They shouldn't be here for another few days, but I don't want to risk the safety of anyone here on campus." Vaughn stood up and rounded the other side of the desk, leaning against it. </p>
<p>"Let the teachers know to keep an eye out on the students and if they see anyone, and I mean <em><b>anyone</b></em> out after dark, send them straight here for questioning. I want no visitors on school grounds for the rest of the week. If anyone tries to come on campus, keep them out and tell them to contact me to reschedule any prior appointments."</p>
<p>Keene raised an eyebrow. "Sir, I know that the authorities coming here is worrying, but doesn't all of this seem excessive? I know privacy has always been your number one concern, but the authorities have been here before. What makes this time any different?"</p>
<p>Vaughn sighed as he grabbed the packet and flipped to the page he had left off on. "I wouldn't be asking you to do all this were it not for the <em>reason</em> behind their visit."</p>
<p>Keene read over the paper and felt his pulse almost stop in his heart. "What...?! But-but <em>how</em>? We made sure to keep all of this out of the eyes of the public! How could they have found out?!"</p>
<p>The headmaster looked down. "It's as we suspected Keene; we have a spy somewhere in the school."</p>
<p>Keene paled, his eyes going wide. It had always been a faint thought, a rumor to them. But now, it was very much a real possibility. How else would they know about all of this? There was no other way. </p>
<p>"I-I'll go start warning the teachers and getting an announcement ready..." Vaughn nodded as the other man rushed out of the room to complete his work.</p>
<p>Vaughn sighed and took off his glasses, rubbing his face. He stared at the warrant that rested on the desk next to him. Despite everything he told Keon, that stubborn b*stard still decided to push his luck. Vaughn didn't care what the authorities wanted, he wasn't letting them anywhere near the school, let alone any of the kids for that matter.</p>
<p>'Keon...you can try all you want, but you're not laying a finger on these kids. You're not getting through these gates.'</p>
<p>Vaughn peaked up as he heard another knock on the door. He placed his glasses back on as he told the person to come in before getting back to work. As much as he wanted to talk, he needed to sort this out.</p>
<p>He only heard the door open as the person walked over to his desk. He didn't bother looking up as he sorted through his papers.</p>
<p>"Look, I'm very busy at this moment. Whatever it is that you want, please make it quick-"</p>
<p>"Sorry to bother you headmaster, but this is quite an important matter that I need to discuss with you."</p>
<p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Chapter 4: end.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Safe House</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Students wandered around like zombies as the day was starting to draw to a close. Those who were skipping snuck around the hallways, trying to avoid any teachers from sending them to the library and actually making them do some form of work. </p><p>Those who had free periods used their time sparingly, lining up at the school gates or outside of their respective club rooms. A teacher gave a tired huff as they made their way down to the courtyard to stop students who were hiding in giant leaf piles and pranking the doomed souls who were unfortunate enough to pass by them.</p><p>All Blyke could do was roll his eyes as he heard yet another set of footsteps scurry through the quiet hallways, excited to have the day be done with.</p><p>How he wish he could join them...</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>The redhead could only narrow his eyes in disapproval as he watched the clock. The lonely, blank face mounted on the wall practically teased him as each arm slowly swung around in a rhythmic fashion. </p><p>Blyke wished he could make the damned thing move faster. He was currently sitting at his desk in the back of the room, the clock in question looming over him from behind.</p><p>The teacher was currently grading quizzes and things of similar nature. She would occasionally look up but as long as everyone was reading, she didn't care. The students however were either craned over their books like vultures, or in obscure positions. </p><p>One teen was currently reading his book while sitting on his desk, his feet kicked up on the back of another student's chair. </p><p>Oh the perks of an English class with Mrs. Fralk.</p><p>Too bad Blyke couldn't find them.</p><p>He hated English and wanted nothing more than to blast his textbook out of existence. He may do that once the year is over and done with.</p><p>Having a textbook for this class was the dumbest thing ever. English was just words and learning how to put them in coherent sentences! You don't <b>need </b>an entire 700 page textbook to figure that out! Yet somehow, they still had one.</p><p>Why? Blyke would never know.</p><p>All he knew was that he had to read through chapters 53 and 58 and write a short two page essay by the time class was over or finish the rest for homework.</p><p>Normally, Blyke didn't mind writing. He actually found it rather enjoyable. The problem was, he was exhausted. He couldn't even get through two pages of the textbook without almost falling asleep.</p><p>All the coffee in the world wouldn't be able to keep him awake. He'd already gone through an extra large with 6 shots of espresso and yet he still fell asleep 3 classes in. He had wanted to get another from the school cafe but Remi had to practically drag him away, saying she was trying to prevent him from overdosing on caffeine, as if such a thing existed! (It does btw.)</p><p>Normally, he wouldn't mind falling asleep in class. It wouldn't be the first time and it wasn't like there was much to do anyways. But it was however the 5th time he almost fell asleep during class <em>today</em>.</p><p>He had already gotten scolded by his Trigonometry teacher for dozing off and falling right off his chair, causing a round of snickers and chuckles to fall upon the room. Blyke admits the scene would have been comical if it had happened to anyone <b>but</b> him.</p><p>Why was he falling asleep in class you may ask?</p><p>Oh that's right...</p><p>Because he was STILL rooming with Isen!</p><p>He had been forced to sleep on the floor for what seemed like years now. Though in reality, it had only been a couple of weeks.</p><p>Blyke couldn't take any more snoring or late night 'newspaper fits' from the orange haired male. Always 'Arlo this' and 'No I don't want to write that.' </p><p>Isen may have been his best friend, but damn was he annoying!</p><p>It was like rooming with a pug that had a snoring problem; it never shuts up.</p><p>Blyke thought it would be fine, that rooming with Isen would be a piece of cake, despite some of his <em>'nightly escapades.'</em> </p><p>He thought it would be just like a regular sleepover and that it would be easy to deal with. Now he realized why absolutely <em>no one</em> wanted to room with Isen and he realized it too late.</p><p>Blyke didn't hate Isen. </p><p>He just hated that Isen couldn't shut up even in his sleep.</p><p>He had already talked to the other about his sleep talking before, but unfortunately he couldn't, or rather wouldn't, do anything to fix it. </p><p>Blyke had tried everything from putting on earmuffs, listening to music before he sleeps, counting sheep, reading on his phone and even stuffing his head under the pillow. </p><p>Even after going out for <em>'training,' </em>he would still wake up in the middle of the night to Isen grumbling away.</p><p>No matter what, Isen's snoring could still be heard no matter how deep asleep the redhead was.</p><p>Blyke was getting desperate. He needed his old bed back, his old room back. He was half-tempted to ask Keene to switch him and Isen into his old dorm room.</p><p>At least then Blyke and Isen would have a set of walls separating them. He wouldn't be stuck right next to Isen and finally be able to get some sleep.</p><p>You know what? He <b>was</b> going to ask Keene!</p><p>Blyke couldn't keep losing sleep over this dumb situation that John had put them in!</p><p>The red-haired teen grit his teeth a bit at the name. Thinking of the ravenette left nothing but an awful taste in his mouth.</p><p>John was nothing but a monster. He was a tyrant and a hypocrite. He only cared about himself and what he stood to gain. If Blyke wasn't so much weaker than him, he would gladly attempt to humiliate John in front of the entire school, no questions asked.</p><p>Blyke was p*ssed at how he had brutalized and embarrassed all the royals, especially Remi. He had no reason to beat her to such an extent, especially after everything she's done to make an attempt at helping him. </p><p>Screw climbing the ladder. The only thing on Johns mind that day was revenge and his revenge only brewed something even more dangerous than the Joker.</p><p>Did he even bother to think how his actions would impact others? Apparently not as by the time the ex-royals returned, dozens of Jokers had taken up his mask in a hellbent attempt to seek their own vengeance. </p><p>John had turned the entire school upside-down over...what?</p><p>Because he was getting beat up? Because he didn't like the way things were run?!</p><p>If he hated the system so much, why didn't he just do something about it himself then?! He wasn't a cripple! He wasn't powerless! He had the power to fight back, as he so <span class="u">easily</span> demonstrated to the whole school. He was a high tier and the strongest of them all. </p><p>He played everyone for fools.</p><p>Blyke rubbed the back of his neck and sighed as a headache came on.</p><p>It was whatever now. Despite how much he wanted things to go back to some form of peace, he had to accept the cards he's been dealt. </p><p>He could be angry another time when he didn't have as much work to do. He already had homework for other classes so the quicker he got this done, the better.</p><p>He pushed through the next 10 pages when he peaked up at the clock.</p><p>The red-haired teen silently cheered when the bell rang, signaling that not just his class, but school, was over for the day.</p><p>He practically jumped out of his desk and sprinted for the door, ignoring Mrs. Fralk's reminder to finish their homework for tomorrow.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>Despite how Remi claimed that everything was ready, there was still a lot of things that needed to be done. </p><p>With the four of them however, they made quick work of it all. </p><p>Blyke wiped his brow and looked up as he looked around the pristine room. Arlo, Isen, Remi and him had just finished setting up the desks and chairs. It had taken them almost 15 minutes to finish setting up, but they were officially done. </p><p>Everything was set. Beanbags were placed, laptops charged, books and games stacked neatly on their shelves and everyone ready to help. </p><p>The ex-royals all lined up with Remi as people started flocking into the club.</p><p>Students of all different backgrounds walked in and filled up the room, looking around in confusion and slight curiosity. </p><p>Remi walked over to greet Elaine and Seraphina as they walked in, the two deciding to just settle on reading in the beanbags as they didn't want to get in the way of the girls moment. </p><p>Soon, more and more people walked in, the room quickly filling up with students. Eventually, they had about 30-40 students in the room. Blyke had to admit, it was a good turnout for the first day. </p><p>Isen leaned over to him. "I wasn't expecting there to be so many people on the first day." The redhead raised an eyebrow. "Of course there's a large turn out! We asked around and a lot of people wanted this club to happen." </p><p>The two of them and Arlo stepped back as they let Remi give the introduction. The safe House was her idea after all and Arlo knew she needed to start taking the reigns and lead how she wanted to. Though, he was already proud of her for taking on such a task and seeing it through despite the odds.</p><p>"Hello everyone! Welcome to the grand opening of the safe house." Remi went on to explain how rank didn't matter here, how everyone was welcomed and deserved a place to relax and feel safe. </p><p>After explaining all the different things the safe house had to offer, she finished up her speech, telling people they were free to stay or leave as the meeting was fairly short. She also mentioned that they were planning on having a friendly board game competition. The first place winner would get a $20 gift card to any store or restaurant of their choice, a $15 gift card for second and a $10 gift card for third. </p><p>Already, students were anxious to play, wanting to get their hands on some easy cash.</p><p>They all started signing up, ready to get this tournament started.</p><p>Once all who wanted to play were signed up, Remi began pulling out the games, explaining what each one was. Blyke and Isen could only cringe the second Remi pulled out Scrab Tiles, remembering their last experience upon playing the game. </p><p>Isen knew he was probably going to have to break apart a few fights and could only hope he wouldn't have to toss anyone out.</p><p>Blyke on the other hand figured now might be a good time to leave as he still had to talk with Keene. He didn't have the energy to break apart any fights today. He'd let Isen take care of that. </p><p>Blyke went over to Remi and stated he had to leave. She told him to take care as he went to go find his bag. </p><p>Arlo eventually did the same, instead just walking straight out of the room after waving to Remi slightly. He never was one for goodbyes. </p><p>Not that Remi minded though.</p><p>She was glad she had friends like Blyke, Arlo, Isen and even Seraphina and Elaine. Despite everything she's put them through, they still stuck by her side and looked out for her.</p><p>The queen sighed as she watched over the remaining club members with pride. She was happy she managed to bring something like this together. Even though the circumstances weren't favorable, she knew her brother would be happy with her efforts on bringing change to the school. </p><p>So far, things were starting to look up. </p><p>There was a lot of turmoil that they still needed to fix in the school. They had a long way to go before things could return to a somewhat calm state. </p><p>But for now, this was a start. </p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Chapter 5: end.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Alarm</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Afternoon clubs usually lasted longer than morning clubs as you had more time to finish your things without the prospect of classes afterwards. It was a perfect compromise for those who hated rushing in the mornings, but still wanted to have a club on their record.  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was also the time for teachers, whether they liked it or not, to catch up on their work and anything that needed their immediate attention.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As for students, it was always first come, first serve. It didn't matter if you were a high tier or a low tier; if you arrived and found yourself at the end of the line, tough luck. Obviously you could fight for a place in line, but it was often too much trouble to go through.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Blyke knew he was no exception as he quickly raced to grab his bag from where it lay. Once he had the straps over his shoulders he slipped through the oncoming horde of students and rushed out the door towards Keene's office. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>One thing about the school's grounds keeper: he was </span>
  <em>
    <span>always</span>
  </em>
  <span> busy.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was like a ghost half the time. One second he was there, the next he was somewhere else. Trying to get his attention was always a hassle. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keene usually had a bunch of students and business to attend to after hours so getting there first was at the top of Blyke's priority list.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He raced through the sky blue halls like a crimson blur. He bumped into a few people, but he didn't really care. All that mattered was convincing Keene to give him his room back and with it, his sanity.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Blyke huffed as he stopped in front of Keene's office. Surprisingly, there was no one there yet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He reached over and flung open the door with newfound energy, the handle almost putting a hole in the wall. "Mr. Keene, I-!" Blyke stopped mid sentence. Keene wasn't in his office.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>'Odd...normally Keene is almost always in here. Huh...maybe the headmaster had to call him down or something.' Blyke contemplated waiting a few minutes to see if he would return soon. He did just that and plopped down into the extra chair by the desk. Blyke pulled out his phone and started playing a round of Solitaire.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Round after round went by until he couldn't keep playing anymore. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The redhead eventually wandered about the room, playing with the metronome that sat on the desk, flipping upside down in his chair until he got light headed, and even tossing his stress ball against the wall in a rhythmic fashion. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He eventually looked up at the digital clock sitting on Keene's desk. Originally class got out at 3:00 pm and he had spent about half an hour at the safe house. It was now 3:55 and there was still no sign of Keene. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The teen was about to call it quits for today when he heard the door to the office open. He turned, expecting to see the groundskeeper, only to be met with a familiar blonde.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Blyke? What are you doing here so late?" Blyke immediately straightened up upon seeing Wellston's former king standing in the doorway.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Ah, Arlo. I'm uh, just waiting for Keene to get back. I have to talk with him about something." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Arlo only raised an eyebrow. "Well, can it wait until tomorrow? You've been here for ages now." Blyke shook his head. "Unfortunately no. If I don't do this now, I might never sleep again." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Arlo sighed. "Let me guess: it's Isen, isn't it?" Well, he was half right. The redhead only nodded though. "Yup. I've been losing sleep ever since I moved in with him. I was hoping Keene could switch us to my old dorm so I at least have some peace." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Arlo nodded in understanding, knowing how obnoxious Isen can be in his nightly hours. Blyke peered down at the stapled papers resting in Arlo's left hand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"What are those papers for?" Arlo looked at said parchment before nodding. "I have to talk with Keene about a recommendation for a job and the deadline closes in a few days." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>This time, it was Blykes turn to raise an eyebrow. "A job? Didn't think you would be interested in getting one." Arlo sighed a bit. The tall blonde leaned back against the door frame. "Even with helping Remi with the safe house, I've recently found I have a lot of free time on my hands. Besides, it's not like I have much else to do now that I'm officially off the roster."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The redhead clenched his fists slightly at the mention of it. He found himself once again enraged at the situation they had found themselves in. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You shouldn't be though..." The former king peered over at him. Arlo knew the ex-jack was angry about this and to be honest, he was still mad as well. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>But, as he already explained to Isen, there wasn't anything they could do about it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Blyke, there's nothing we can do about this. We can be as angry as we want about this whole disaster, but it's not going to change anything. We need to just move on and focus on other things." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Blyke quickly snapped his head over, waving his arms about as he talked. "No it isn't! All this time, John's lied to everyone about who he is! If he was so miserable here, he could've come clean and fixed this sh*t himself! Instead, he's abusing his power as a king to get his way." The blonde only stared towards the floor. Blyke had a point.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>However...</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Blyke, whether he had the ability to fix things himself, it was ultimately his choice to leave the hierarchy. He knew he wasn't fit for the position and yet, I still shoved him into this role." Arlo peered down at his open palm, vaguely remembering what happened out in the field that fateful day. "Truly, if I had just minded my own business and left John alone, we wouldn't be in this mess. He may be out of control, but I was the one who created this monster."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Blyke stared sadly at his former king before looking down towards his lap. He didn't see it the same way. To him, Arlo was only trying to do what was best for everyone involved. He was trying to maintain peace and some form of order. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>How was he supposed to know that a supposed cripple would turn out to be a god tier? </span>
</p><p>
  <span>No one could have figured that out! </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yet here they were with Arlo still beating himself up over this. He just made a mistake; they all have. But he couldn't let it hold him back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Blyke looked back to the king with a stern expression. "You didn't know this would happen Arlo. Sure you can be hard-set sometimes, but we can't blame you for trying to do what's best. We may be strong, but we're still human. Even then, you shouldn't have had to deal with this on your own. I wished you had talked to us about this, namely Remi and I. We could have helped you figure something out."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The blonde only gave a dry chuckle. "Blyke, there's a reason I didn't tell you guys about John. Remi would have gone after John and bugged him till he put her through a wall. And you? While you have improved on it, your aggression would have gotten you sent straight to the hospital against him. Did you honestly think I wanted either one of you to take part in </span>
  <em>
    <span>my </span>
  </em>
  <span>mistakes?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Blyke stood up and stared at Arlo. "</span>
  <em>
    <span>Yes</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Because whether you like it or not, We. Are. Royals. Or at least we </span>
  <span>were</span>
  <span>. You may have been king but as your jack and queen, we also have a responsibility to help you lead and set an example." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He proceeded to cross his arms. "We may not always see eye to eye, but I have always been honest with you when it comes to my opinions. Unlike Cecile, I don't go behind your back! I've </span>
  <em>
    <span>always</span>
  </em>
  <span> had your back! So has Remi! Honestly, it was insulting to us that you went about this not just by yourself, but in secret! You kept us in the dark while everyone around us was getting hurt!"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Blyke looked away a bit. "It was a </span>
  <b>selfish</b>
  <span> move on your part. While you did everything you could to fix it, there still could have been other ways to go about this had you just talked to us. Back when I became Jack, you swore that anything we did regarding the well being of the school, we would decide on </span>
  <em>
    <span>together</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Yet when we all need to be on the same page, now more than ever, you go at this alone."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Arlo stared at Blyke, shocked at the redheads honesty as Blyke looked down.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Arlo wanted to argue against Blyke but he knew there was a half truth to what he had said. He really couldn't have known that John was a high tier. He was only human and at the time, he did it because he thought it was best for everyone involved. He thought that order was the best thing for </span>
  <span>everyone</span>
  <span> to follow. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>As for Blyke and Remi, Arlo should have put more faith in them. He remembered how distraught Remi was about finding out he was injured, how she wanted to protect and help him and for him to be honest with her. He remembered how even though Blyke could get ahead of himself, the teen still pushed through and did everything he could to fulfill his duties, doing whatever he was told with no questions and little push back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He had taken them </span>
  <em>
    <span>both</span>
  </em>
  <span> for granted, failing to realize that he wasn't alone. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The blonde could only nod slightly as he looked at the ex-jack. "You're right Blyke...but it doesn't matter now, does it? We're still stuck in this madness."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Blyke nodded solemnly in agreement. "Right now, we need a solution to this. No matter how hard we try, nothing seems to gets through to that maniac. Honestly, I don't know what else we can do at this point."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Arlo sighed and placed a hand on Blyke's shoulder. "We'll come up with something. Only this time, I'm not going to make the same mistakes."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Blyke nodded as the room fell into silence again. He eventually sighed, grabbing his bag. "Well, as much as I want to stay, I better get going. I can't keep waiting all day for Keene to show-" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>
    <em>*</em>
  </b>
  <b>
    <em>CRASH!</em>
  </b>
  <b>
    <em>*</em>
  </b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Both teens snapped their heads up when they heard a loud noise come from down the hallway. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Blyke raised an eyebrow and moved over to the doorway. "What was that?" Arlo looked out the door. "I don't know..." Whatever it was, it didn't sound good. Blyke followed the former king as he stepped out into the hallway. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was completely silent. Arlo was about to step back inside when the smell of smoke drifted into his nostrils. It didn't smell like something was baking or cooking. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>No, something was </span>
  <b>burning</b>
  <span> and badly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keene soon sprinted down the opposite end of the hallway from where the smell was coming from, having just jogged up a flight of stairs. He started calling out to the teens. "Someone pull the alarm!" The man pointed behind them to the other end of the hallway.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>"THE SCHOOL'S ON FIRE!"</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Arlo saw the dark grey smoke start billowing down the hallway behind him and immediately, his instincts kicked in. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Both he and Blyke ran for the fire alarms and yanked the handles, the alarms going off. Students who were still in clubs walked out of their rooms but immediately saw the smoke and booked it in the other direction, yelling and screaming all the way. They didn't care what drills they had been taught. Right now, this was the real deal.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keene stopped beside the two, huffing as he tried to catch his breath. "Both of you...get out of here now! It's not safe on this floor right no-!" He was cut off by another loud noise.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>
    <em>*</em>
  </b>
  <b>
    <em>CRASH!</em>
  </b>
  <b>
    <em>*</em>
  </b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The next crash wasn't accompanied by silence. This time, a wail of pain followed the destructive sound. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Blyke could feel his heart go cold at just how much </span>
  <em>
    <span>agony</span>
  </em>
  <span> that person must have been in to make such a sound. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It sounded like they were dying.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His eyes widened a bit. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>That person very well </span>
  <em>
    <span>could</span>
  </em>
  <span> be dying.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The same thought was on the blonde's mind as well as Keenes. They didn't know when the fire department would show up and by that point, whoever was still in there would be burnt alive. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Arlo immediately looked to Blyke and their groundskeeper who could only nod back in silent agreement. The ex-king put up his barrier around him and the other two standing beside him before the three ran into the thickening smoke.</span>
</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Chapter 6: end.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Inferno</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The three were met with almost complete darkness the second they stepped into the smoke. </p><p>Blyke activated his abilities to light up the pitch black hallway as they swiftly made their way through the black fog. </p><p>It was like stepping into a hazy nightmare as his beam reflected against the dust clouding the air. The three of them immediately felt disoriented, like they had just been tossed into an entirely different world.</p><p>What was going on?</p><p>As they moved, the groundskeeper couldn't help but feel like they were being watched. It was an odd feeling, but he couldn't help the hair standing up on the back of his neck. </p><p>He didn't want to let the kids walk in here, but they needed light to see and they sure as hell couldn't breathe in this thick smoke without the blondes barrier. He was lucky that he ran into the two students with the most useful abilities for this situation </p><p>"Hello?! Is anyone in here?!" Blyke called out into the darkness only to receive no answer.</p><p>They continued to rush through the hall, looking in classroom after classroom, all completely frozen in time minus the people. It was creepy and the almost deafening silence besides the faint crackling of flames echoing in the distance and their stern but shallow breaths left all of them with chills down their spines. They checked their 7th room when they heard another yell come from further down the hallway.</p><p>Arlo peered around before his eye caught something. He could just barely make out the flames coming from down the hallway, from the <em>headmasters</em> office. "Blyke, you don't think...?" The redhead only remained silent. He didn't want to think about it. Besides, <em>he</em> was strong. He could handle himself.</p><p> </p><p>Right...?</p><p>Keene had gone ghostly pale, realizing what this could mean. He hoped he was wrong. He really, <em>really</em> hoped he was wrong and that the man wasn't in there when everything lit up like a bonfire. </p><p>The blonde stopped as he squinted into the darkness. From it, he could see someone trying to crawl through the smoke, pushing through some ceiling tiles that had cracked and disintegrated on the floor. "Over there!"</p><p>He and the groundskeeper raced over to the figure, Blyke closely following behind them. The redhead could only gasp in shock when they got close enough to the person. The eerie red glow from Blyke's beam contrasted sharply against the mans green hair and the blood that trailed down the hallway behind him. </p><p>"H-Headmaster!" The man was weakly trying to crawl along the floor, trying to avoid inhaling all the smoke but with little success.</p><p>Arlo immediately allowed his barrier to phase the headmaster into their air bubble, Keene kneeling next to him on the floor as he reached it. The blonde also knelt down and helped the man up, both supporting his weight on either side. </p><p>Arlo visibly flinched when he saw the shard of glass impaling the headmasters hand. Unfortunately, that wasn't the only injury he was sporting.</p><p>The poor man had harsh burns covering his body, mostly his arms and back. Blood trailed down from his forehead in thick streams, covering half his face in the crimson substance as well as his shoulder. His leg was bent at an odd angle and Keene knew from one look that it was broken, maybe even dislocated. His clothes and hair were singed and his glasses that were usually sitting neatly on the bridge of his nose were crooked, the glass of one of the lenses sporting a spiderweb crack across it.</p><p>"Vaughn?! Vaughn, what happened to you?!" Keene fixed his hold on the man as the headmaster coughed, his breaths strained and short as blood dribbled from his lips. It was obvious he was struggling to allow fresh air to enter his lungs. The man only managed to open his mouth slightly before he went completely limp, his eyes rolling back.</p><p>Arlo swore under his breath, fixing his hold on the man. The ex-king looked behind him at the blazing room, the flames getting higher by the minute. Arlo swore he saw something move within their scorching depths but it disappeared as the ceiling caved in, the beams giving out and almost completely blocking the office from view.</p><p>The blonde turned back to the other two with him. "Come on. Let's get him out of here. I don't know how much longer this ceiling is going to hold." Blyke quickly nodded as they all rushed out of the smoking hallway and out of the burning building.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>Keene and Arlo set the injured man down onto the lush grass as they got a safe distance away from the burning building. Blyke knelt down next to the groundskeeper, still in shock of what he was seeing.</p><p>The chilly, late autumn breeze combed through their hair and left goosebumps along their arms. It was a drastic change compared to where they had been just a few minutes prior.</p><p>Arlo looked up, eyes wide with shock as he and the others took in the view before them.</p><p> </p><p>Wellston Private High School was burning. </p><p> </p><p>The large and once picturesque building had become something pulled out of a pyromaniacs daydream. </p><p>The school already had smoke billowing up and out of several 4 story windows, the flames licking at the metal window frames and shattering the glass from the intense heat. </p><p>Walik hall was practically smothered in smoke by now and anything the students and teachers left in their classrooms or lockers was either burnt or covered in soot and debris. They could <em>just now </em>hear the sprinkling system running from here, but even that wasn't enough to quench these hungry flames.</p><p>Students from the east wing gathered around outside in small groups, the teachers keeping them back and away from danger. Some mumbled to one another while others were comforting each other or gossiping about what may have happened. </p><p>At that moment, Arlo didn't care about their words or thoughts. What he was worried about was the unconscious man who laid in front of him.</p><p>In all his years at Wellston, he had never, <em>ever</em>, seen the headmaster in such a state. Hell, he'd never even seen a <b>scratch</b> on him before until now!</p><p>Vaughn had yet to wake up, still completely out of it. He would only cough slightly before his eyes drifted back close, causing the groundskeeper and two students surrounding him to grow even more concerned. None of them dared to even touch the glass still embedded in his hand and they didn't know what to do besides stem the flow of blood coming from his shoulder and his head. </p><p>Mrs. Novak, a 3rd year chemistry teacher, had already seen her co-worker laying bleeding and unconscious in the grass and had rushed off to find the nearest payphone to call for help, her cellphone being left inside among the bustling chaos.</p><p>Blyke took off his jacket and folded it up under Vaughn's head while Arlo removed the man's frames to avoid any broken glass from falling in his eyes.</p><p>Keene looked at the man in worry before sighing. "I'll be right back. I'm going to see if there are any healers around to help him." The two teens nodded as the groundskeeper rushed off.</p><p>Arlo looked up at the red head who was trembling slightly. He was visibly shaken up and he had every right to be. </p><p>Their own headmaster, the man who was supposed to protect them from intruders and help keep students calm during these situations, was now lying helpless on the ground after being pulled out of the flames. </p><p>It was a scary sight, even for the former king. But Arlo had to keep calm for everyone involved, including Vaughn. </p><p>Arlo gently placed a hand on Blyke's shoulder. "Don't worry Blyke. He's strong. He'll be ok. We just need to get him to the hospital and they can take care of him from there." The redhead took a deep breath to steady himself before nodding. "Ok...let me go find someone who has a phone. Vaughn needs an ambulance."</p><p>Arlo nodded as the teen sprinted off to borrow someone's phone. The blonde sighed as he placed the man's glasses in his pocket for the time being. He rubbed his face before he looked up and spotted a familiar bluette. "Elaine!" Arlo waved his arms about to get her attention. The girl in question looked over to him. She waved back slightly but gasped when she saw their headmaster laying on the ground.</p><p>She sprinted over and knelt down next to the two. "What happened to the headmaster?!" Arlo looked down. "I don't know...Blyke and I managed to fish him out of the hallway. Can you try healing him?" Elaine bit her lip. "I'll see what I can do. But some of these wounds are quite extensive..." Arlo nodded. "Just do what you can Elaine."</p><p>She took a steady breath as she quickly activated her ability, starting to heal up the burn marks along his body.</p><p>As Elaine healed him, Blyke ran back over. "Mrs. Novak called for help. There's an ambulance and a firetruck on the way here." Keene eventually ran back too, another healer at his side. He was only a 2.5, but at this point, every bit of help counted. </p><p>He too got to work trying to heal the headmaster, following Elaine's instructions as she told him what areas they needed to focus on.</p><p>All the others could do was stand by and watch, trying to help them out as much as they could until the ambulance arrived.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>Meanwhile on the other side of the school, the second group of students rushed out into the back courtyard behind the lunch room and past the gates. </p><p>Seraphina, Remi and Isen had been the last ones left in the safe house, cleaning up the disaster left behind by the students and were now helping some of the teachers lead the other students from the schools west wing. </p><p>Some students were panicking, having narrowly avoided getting burnt to a crisp. Luckily Isen used his abilities to guide any students who had gotten lost in the fray.</p><p>The west wing had taken up a lot more damage, the flames having started to drift to the other side of the school and set fire to multiple classrooms on lower floors. It had been close, but they managed to get everyone out in time.</p><p>Remi panted as she jogged over to the schools back gate where Seraphina and Isen were holding open the gates for others to rush through onto the lawn. "Is there anyone else left Isen?" He scanned the building again, critically looking back and forth as he scanned over room after room. Fortunately, he found no one else inside. "No. The west wing is clear. I can't see far enough to say the same thing about the east wing."</p><p>Seraphina wiped the sweat off her brow. "It's fine. We did everything we could. We can worry about it later when we finish evacuating everyone here." The three turned their attention as the teachers called out to the flocking students, trying to herd them together like a group of scared sheep.</p><p>They waved their arms as they motioned to follow them, wanting them to head to the main entrance as the back courtyard wasn't safe to stay at. </p><p>Everyone readily followed them as they heard a loud <b><em>*BANG!*</em></b> </p><p>One of ceiling beams had collapsed and had smashed clean through a window and its supporting wall, bricks crumbling down and breaking against the pavement below them. </p><p>The building was becoming more and more unstable by the second.</p><p>Isen grabbed Remi's arm and pulled her along, not wanting to stay a second longer. Remi stopped him when she saw Seraphina remain un-moving, staring at the burning building before her as the flames fanned out into the open.</p><p>Her face remained set in a strange combination of shocked and somber. The flames flickered across her face as she stood there, lost in thought as she stared into the fire's raging depths. </p><p>She couldn't help but stand there and wonder how.</p><p>How had things gotten like this? How had things continued to spiral further and further out of control?</p><p>Wellston hadn't been a home to her, but it felt like something close. </p><p>It was the only place she had ever known where her family couldn't force her to be something she wasn't, where she had genuinely felt happy and had found people that cared about her to some degree. </p><p>Wellston was a safe haven compared to her own home, a place where she was forced to be something she hated. </p><p>Despite all the hardships it had put her through, Wellston had been a cornerstone in her life. Wellston had given and taken so much from her but was one of the only constants left in her life. It constantly allowed her to have the freedom to be who she wanted to be without her family's influence corrupting her.  </p><p>But as she watched the building burn, it slowly dawned on her that her freedom was now being burnt to the ground with the school.</p><p> </p><p>"Seraphina...!" </p><p>"Seraphina!" </p><p>"Please! We have to go!" </p><p>Remi's voice reached her ears and she turned her head. </p><p>Isen and Remi were bathed in a toasted glow, the rising flames dancing in their eyes as they stared at her in concern. </p><p>Seraphina only nodded, knowing they couldn't stay any longer. She felt the heat grow against her skin as the flames continued to rise, threatening to take them into its searing embrace.</p><p>All Sera could do was look back one last time and watch as the flames grew, eventually backing away and running with the others as Wellston was lit up like a torch.     </p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Chapter 7: end.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Questions</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Word had spread quickly about what had occurred at Wellston.</p><p>News reporters and onlookers from nearby neighborhoods had started crowding around the school, drivers even stopping along the roads.</p><p>Teachers and other staff members had to urge and even threaten drivers to get out of the way as they were blocking the road off for emergency vehicles.</p><p>Everything had dissolved into complete chaos.</p><p> </p><p>Students were scared, having just watched their school go up in an inferno.</p><p> </p><p>Teachers were frustrated and terrified, trying to keep students calm and do a head count.</p><p> </p><p>Pedestrians and nosy drivers were only becoming a hassle, getting in the way and obstructing traffic.  </p><p> </p><p>The reaction all of them shared was the same across the board though; everyone was in shock of the events that had occurred. </p><p>To them, Wellston always seemed untouchable, unbreakable. It was a proud fortress that had stood strong despite the obstacles thrown its way.  </p><p>But watching the flames lick away at the walls of the school, watching the brick become blackened with soot, watching smoke billow out from all sides, sent the message loud and clear: Wellston was no where close to untouchable.</p><p>It was a message that sent dread down every on-looker's spines.</p><p>Students couldn't help but flinch or gasp every time they heard a window blow out from the searing heat, glass spewing everywhere like thousands of knives searching for a target. </p><p>They couldn't help but back away further and further off campus and into the streets as the fire rose.</p><p>The flames grew as they desperately reached and clawed out to them, yearning for a taste at their flesh.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Fire had no soul; it had no reason for its actions.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>It only fed off of what it could find and continued to grow as it feasted upon its source. Fire was only beautiful when controlled, when it could benefit those around them. But this fire had become monstrous; a force to fear and a force to hate.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>The fire department eventually arrived, getting straight to work on battling the flames. The group from the west wing had also joined the east wing group, friends relieved to see each other still in one piece. Remi heaved a sigh of relief the second she saw Elaine, Blyke and Arlo in the fray. She almost tackled the two boys in a hug as she rushed them. Despite being surprised at first, they hugged her back, relieved that she was unharmed. </p><p>Isen clapped Blyke on the back, muttering something about how fire couldn't hurt him with how much of a hothead he was. Despite the joke, both were glad to see one another.</p><p>Sera jumped slightly when she was tackled in a bear hug by a familiar girl with watermelon pink hair in two pigtails along her shoulders. "Seraphina! You're ok!" The magenta haired girl chuckled as she gave Evie a small squeeze before letting her go. "Yeah, I'm fine. What about you, Roland, and Terrence?" Evie pointed over to the group where the two boys were talking with a teacher. "We're good too."</p><p>Evie's happy atmosphere disappeared the second she laid eyes on the teacher resting in the grass. Her face morphed into a look of complete horror. Seraphina followed her gaze, her expression almost mirroring Evie's.  </p><p>The others were also shocked to see the headmaster in his current state, expressing their concerns for the man.</p><p>Seraphina approached Elaine who was exhausted from healing the headmaster. She knew this was a lot for the bluette to handle so she tried talking to Elaine, helping her relax as she continued with her job. Elaine appreciated the magenta haired girl being there. She needed a bit of moral support after everything.</p><p>Eventually, the ex-royals all stood together and watched as an ambulance pulled up, paramedics rushing out to tend to the fallen headmaster. </p><p>Despite everything she's seen over the years as a healer, Elaine couldn't watch. The headmaster was in critical condition, almost completely unresponsive. Even her healing wouldn't be enough to treat his most severe wounds and there were several she already couldn't treat.</p><p>The school nurse had already assured them that the man would live, but that still didn't calm anyone's fears about seeing the strong and proud headmaster Vaughn get carted away by paramedics, completely limp and motionless.</p><p>Arlo and Blyke watched as they saw Keene speak to the head of the fire department. The man was visibly stressed and everyone knew why.</p><p>In case of emergencies where the current headmaster was unable to do their job, their assistant would temporarily take their place. In other words, Keene was now acting headmaster until further notice. </p><p>Being headmaster was something Keene never imagined he'd have to do in all of his life. But now, that insane thought was quickly becoming a reality.</p><p>The man nodded and left the head of the fire department to talk to all the teachers, telling them to send all the students back to their dorms. </p><p>He would put out an announcement later that the school's main building would be shut down for the week while they investigated and did repairs. For now though, he had to take care of the frightened teenagers and warn those who had already gone back to their dorms of what had happened.</p><p>All the group could do was wonder how such a thing could have happened.</p><p>Even if it was an accidental fire, there was no way that the headmaster should have been injured to such a degree. The fire shouldn't have been able to get so out of control. The sprinklers should have been able to put it out to begin with. So why didn't they?  </p><p>Everyone was quickly snapped from their respective thoughts as more cars pulled up. Just from seeing the badges they branded, it was the authorities.</p><p>Arlo jogged over as he saw his aunt exit one of the cars, watching the scene with a stern expression on her face. "Aunt Val!" her expression morphed from a scowl into a relieved smile as she jogged over as well. She pulled the teen into a hug and let out a stressed sigh. "Thank goodness you're safe..."</p><p>Arlo hugged her back and they pulled away. The blonde looked at her, relieved that she was here to help out. Valerie fixed her trench coat before walking over with towards her group, waving for Arlo to follow her. "Alright Arlo, start filling me in. We have a lot of ground to cover before the day is out." The blonde nodded and started relaying everything he knew so far.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>It had been almost 3 hours before the fire was finally put out. </p><p>Doc and Keene stood among the first responders as they stared at the destroyed school. Keene rubbed the bridge of his nose. He was at a loss for words right now "This is a nightmare Darren...we may have the funds to cover for this, but it'll still take almost a week for things to be replaced and fixed."</p><p>Darren patted the man on the shoulder. "It'll be alright Keene. The other teachers will help out too. I know this is a lot of responsibility, but it's only temporary."</p><p>Keene crossed his arms. "I hope you're right Darren. Anyways, let's head home. We have our work cut out for us including a head count."</p><p>The doctor nodded as he took his leave. </p><p>The students had already been sent home a couple hours ago. They were all currently in their dorms, tired and weary. </p><p>Right now, they all just wanted to unwind or catch up on some sleep. They didn't know what their schedule would look like for the next week, but they wanted to take some time off to relax. </p><p>Seraphina sat curled up on the dorm room couch as she flipped through the channels, wanting to find something to watch besides the news and sports. </p><p>Elaine was currently busy in the kitchen baking some fruit tarts. She liked to bake and listen to music, namely soft country, when she was stressed. Sera offered to help but the girl declined, wanting some time to herself. </p><p>As she clicked at the remote, she couldn't help but let worry start flooding in. </p><p>'Is everyone ok?'</p><p>'Did everyone make it out safely?'</p><p>'Will the headmaster make a full recovery?'</p><p>It was a lot of questions but she eventually sighed and sipped her water. There was one thing that worried her the most though: John.</p><p>The girl hadn't seen the reclusive teen when they were on the lawn. </p><p>Was he ok too?</p><p> </p><p>Heh, what was she thinking? Of course he was fine! </p><p>The ravenette hated staying after school and it's not like he took part in clubs anyways. He had probably already gone back to his dorm or left early to get boba like he would sometimes do. He probably wouldn't even find out about the whole incident until tomorrow. 'Everything's fine Sera. Calm down.' </p><p>Sera couldn't help the faint pang of worry though. </p><p>Despite how much she tried to reassure herself, Seraphina couldn't help but feel her inner voice nagging her, telling her it may not be fine. She knew she wasn't going to find peace until she did something about it. </p><p>She bit her lip as she found herself pulling out her phone and pulling up the teens contact. She quickly unblocked it and sent him a quick text before closing the line again. Even if he didn't reply, she could still see if he read the message. She would check it later after giving it some time.</p><p>
  <span class="u">
    <em>*<b>Sera: </b>/hey john...i know you probably won't reply back, but wanted to make sure you were ok. don't know if you heard, but there was a huge fire at the school. just wanted to make sure you were safe. t</em>
    <em>ake care./</em>
  </span>
</p><p>Sera sighed as she placed her phone down, turning her attention back to the movie she had finally settled on watching.</p><p>She didn't know if John would read her text, but she could only hope he would.</p><p>Even then, at least now her mind was clear from all that worry.</p><p>She eventually settled into the couch, enjoying the faint aroma of Elaine's baking as she watched 'Sirens Lament' which had recently come out on TV.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>Waiting for the officers to finish taping up the hallway in yellow caution tape shouldn't have taken as long as it did. But here they were, almost 8:30 at night, just NOW getting into the headmasters office.</p><p>Arlo now knew why his aunt <em>hated</em> waiting for the investigators to finally look at the crime scene. </p><p>Those idiots couldn't move fast enough if their lives depended on it.</p><p>Now that they were finally done, Arlo and Valerie carefully maneuvered their way throughout the debris, avoiding the areas marked in red as they made their way to the office.</p><p>The second they stepped into the area, Arlo couldn't help but gasp. The room was charred, the tan wallpaper now wilted grey and white along it's peeling edges. The shelves lining the side of the room had tumbled over, books and other antiques splayed and broken along the floor. The desk on the other hand had been broken down the middle, burnt wood splintered everywhere. A ceiling beam appeared to have collapsed over it, barely being held up by the wall.</p><p>Valerie surveyed the room before she looked at Arlo. "Activate your ability please. I don't trust that beam..." The teen nodded, enveloping the both of them in a golden shield. They both strode in, looking around for any clues as to what could have started this. Both f them were wearing gloves and safety masks as the air was still quite thick with smoke and debris.</p><p>"Alright. Be careful with what you touch and if you see anything, call me over." Arlo nodded as his aunt and him got to work.</p><p>Arlo walked over towards the desk, being careful not to touch the beam crashed through it. He knelt down as he saw blood smeared along the edge of the desk. He could only assume it was Vaughns'. The blonde continued searching, coming across a set of burnt up papers. The only parts of the packet that weren't burnt was what the packet was and the reason behind it.</p><p>Arlo bit his lip. ''Warrant issued for the search and seizure of blank. Effective immediately.'?! What is this...?!' Arlo tried to read the reason behind it as well as who it was issued for, but the rest of the packet was ruined from the flames.</p><p>Arlo carefully set it back down before looking over to Valerie. "Aunt Val? There's a packet over here you may want to look at."</p><p>Valerie walked over and carefully inspected the paper. "Hmm...I'll have the evidence team take a look at this." She carefully took a plastic bag out of her pocket and held it open for Arlo to place it into. Once it was airtight, Valerie marked it in sharpie of what it was and where it was found as well as the date. "Good find Arlo. Keep looking around." Arlo kept searching, only coming across more blood stains.</p><p>He and Valerie took pictures of the scene as well as any blood stains and anything that looked suspicious.</p><p>Valerie sighed as she stood up. "Arlo, can you please go ask for a flashlight? It's getting too dark in here." Arlo nodded, quickly but carefully rushing out. He wasn't worried about the stability of the room now that they were walking around on the solid parts of the floor.</p><p>The woman continued her search, using her phone to look around. She didn't really need a flashlight, but, she figured she might as well have the teen grab one in case her phone died.</p><p>She shined it over to the wall and saw a very odd looking crack. It was a little too symmetrical with how the two lines of the crack ran in almost a 90 degree fashion. She walked over and shined the light inside, smirking a little when she found a metallic box glaring right back at her.</p><p>'I knew it. I'll have to get the evidence team in here later to help with this.' She carefully stepped away, not wanting to possibly break anything. </p><p>She continued to look around the room when the detective stopped in her tracks, spotting something gleaming on the floor.</p><p>A phone.</p><p>She walked over and dusted off the small device laying on the floor. Its screen was warped and cracked from the flames, the edges almost completely melted away. It was a miracle that it was even still working.</p><p>Valerie narrowed her eyes as the screen fizzed to life, knowing who the device belonged to.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>Arlo eventually came back activating his barrier around them as he handed her the flashlight. "Here's the flashlight. Did you find anything?"</p><p>Valerie only sighed with disappointment. "Unfortunately no. As much as I want to continue Arlo, we're probably going to have to call it for the night. Sorry for making you grab this for nothing." </p><p>The teen sighed slightly, but understood that it was no use to search blindly in the dark. "Alright. But you'll be back here again tomorrow, right?"</p><p>Valerie smiled warmly under her mask and patted his back. "Don't worry Arlo, I'll let you help me tomorrow. It'll be good experience for you. For now, let's go get some rest. It's been a long day. For you especially."</p><p>Arlo nodded, trying to hide a yawn as they carefully made their way out of the room and out into calmer scenery.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <em>If only Arlo had seen the shattered bits of a phone screen littered on the floor, surrounded by a melted pool of plastic and broken bits of delicate circuits strewn about.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span class="u">If only he had noticed...</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Chapter 8: end.  </p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Sanity</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The weather had become crisp, the leaves having trickled off their respective trees by the dozens. The weather should have been perfect to go outside and play in the multitude of leaf piles littering the ground.</p><p>Unfortunately, with autumn came the rain. </p><p>Everyone at Wellston knew it was probably going to be the last week before the snow would set in.</p><p>The falling droplets splashed against a multitude of surfaces, drenching objects and people alike in its cold embrace. </p><p>To those inside, it was soothing and allowed them to relax into the grasp of sleep. To those investigating outside and in the half burnt school, it was an absolute nightmare.</p><p>Cops and investigators alike stood huddling under tarps as they shivered, some already soaked to the bone from not being able to avoid the weather.</p><p>Red and blue lights blinked in a synchronized fashion outside the boys dorms, lighting up the campus. It was a miracle they had their sirens off. Otherwise, nobody would be getting any sleep.</p><p>The authorities had already been here for 2 days. For some reason however, they still insisted on keeping their lights on at night while they continued to investigate. Everyone found out that while the damage was bad, the students weren't going to be sent home. For now, they would just settle for online classes until they could return to their normal lives.</p><p>Isen stood and stared out the window, too wired from the past few days to relax and the lights catching his attention anyways.</p><p>Even though it was only 7:30 pm, Blyke was fast asleep in the living room of their dorm. He was half-way off the couch, having fallen asleep watching Dragon Z Ball. </p><p>Isen knew the redhead hadn't been sleeping well but there really was nothing he could do about it. </p><p>Isen couldn't just change his sleep habits overnight! </p><p>But he knew it also wasn't fair to Blyke who didn't have a choice in this whole scenario, especially given who his ex-roommate is. </p><p>As fun as it was having his best friend sleeping over with him, he knew they needed new living arrangements. There were several points in which he almost tripped over Blyke on his way to the bathroom or to go start making breakfast in the mornings. </p><p>They had both become occupational hazards for each other. </p><p>He and Blyke had briefly talked about asking Keene to switch them into another dorm with two rooms. Isen was 100% on board with the idea, but now with everything going on, they didn't know when would be a good time to ask the overwhelmed groundskeeper. </p><p>It was frustrating, but they would just have to wait it out, whether they liked it or not.</p><p>Isen huffed before he went over to Blyke, poking the teen on the cheek. "Blyke. Blyke wake up. We gotta eat." The teen only sighed when Blyke rolled back over on the couch, still fast asleep. </p><p>He eventually decided to just let the redhead rest and settled on heating up some soup for them. As much as the two of them bicker, he did care about Blyke and his health.</p><p>As he finished up, he heard a knock on the door. He quickly turned down the heat on the stove before going over and opening the door.</p><p>As soon as he did, he spotted a certain pinkette standing there, face contorted in anger. "Remi? Hey! What are you doing here?" </p><p>Ignoring Isen's greeting, she walked right past him and into the dorm. "Where is he...?" The teen raised an eyebrow as he watched the girl storm in, going straight past him and into the living room. Isen quickly followed behind her. "Remi?? What's going on?"</p><p>The girl spotted Blyke sleeping on the couch and stomped over to him before grabbing his shoulders and shaking him awake. "BLYKE! WAKE UP RIGHT NOW!" Blyke gasped and bolted upright, not expecting the sudden wake up call.</p><p>He sat up and rubbed his eyes, looking around groggily. "Huh...?! W-What's happening...?!" He yawned as Remi stood back up, hands on her hips. "That's what I'd like to know Blyke! What is going on?!"</p><p>Blyke and Isen both raised an eyebrow each, not having a clue as to what she was elaborating on. Isen placed a hand on Remi's shoulder, trying to get her to calm down. "Remi, we don't know what you're talking about. Could you please explain what's going on?"</p><p>Remi sighed and yanked her phone out, flicking through it before shoving the screen in the two boys faces. "I should be asking Blyke the same thing!"</p><p>The redhead raised an eyebrow before he felt all the color drain from his face. Sitting on Remi's phone screen was a news article about a double vigilante sighting in Grasshill. The front page of the article: Blyke in his vigilante outfit, injured with the ponytail guy in front of him, blades ready. </p><p>Remi stared at him, gauging his reaction before pulling back the phone as she read the article. "'Late last weekend on Saturday night in the town of Grasshill, there was a double vigilante sighting. One was unknown but according to sources in the small town, the second vigilante went by the name of 'Nobody.' 'Nobody' seemed to be having issues taking on a mid-tier before the second vigilante stepped in. Had he not, 'Nobody' very well could have died. Several people described 'Nobody' as a young teen, with red hair, gold eyes and some sort of propulsion based ability.'"</p><p>Remi shut the phone off as she stared at Blyke. Isen was just as pale but for a completely different reason. The orange haired teen slowly turned is gaze over to his best friend who could only stare at Remi in shock.</p><p>Remi stared him down, hurt reflecting in her amber eyes. "Blyke...how could you?! How could you go out and do something like this?! Especially considering the fact that <b>you</b> were the one who told me to stop! I stopped being a vigilante because you and Isen were right! We were in way over our heads and completely unprepared! And that was with <span class="u">all 3 of us</span>! Don't you realize how messed up that is?!"</p><p>Blyke looked down, not knowing what to say. </p><p>Isen only ran his hands through his hair before sitting on the floor. He almost lost Remi because of all this madness. Now Blyke too?! "Blyke...what the <em><b>hell</b></em> were you thinking?"</p><p>The redhead looked over to his best friend and to Remi, not knowing what to say. "I...I'm sorry..." Isen looked up at him, anger boiling in his eyes. "I didn't ask for a f*cking apology Blyke...I asked you <em><span class="u">what the hell</span></em> you were thinking! Was Volcan not enough?! Was almost getting <b>killed</b> out there thrilling enough for you?! What made you think this was ever a good idea?!" </p><p>Blyke looked at him. "Isen, it's complicated-" The teen only shook his head. "Bullsh*t! I just found out my best friend almost got killed! I have <em>every</em> right to know why you did this Blyke and so does Remi!" Blyke moved back a little, surprised by the teens anger.</p><p>But he knew he deserved it. </p><p>He did the exact same thing that he had tried to convince Remi to stop doing so desperately because she almost <em>died</em>. Because they were just three kids who had involved themselves in something they couldn't even begin to comprehend. </p><p>He was weaker than Remi...and he <em>easily</em> could have gotten pegged had the other guy not shown up and saved his *ss.</p><p>Blyke rested his head in his hands. "I just...I didn't know what else to do, ok?!" He looked back at the two of them. "After our fight with Joker...I felt so useless, I felt so <em>weak</em>...you guys had gotten hurt and there wasn't a damn thing I could do to prevent it. I was supposed to be Jack. Yet I couldn't do <em>anything</em> to protect anyone from John's rampage. I wanted to get stronger...I wanted to <b>be</b> stronger...at the time, this seemed like it was the only solution."</p><p>Remi stood in front of him, physically shaking. "Do you not understand?! Hiding all these secrets, going out behind our backs knowing you could get killed...it's EXACTLY what my brother did!" </p><p>Blyke felt his heart crack a little when he saw the tears start streaking down her face. "There isn't a day that goes by where I don't think about how if I had just picked up on what he was doing, if I hadn't been so blind...I could've stopped him or helped him or just-...just do SOMETHING to save him! But I couldn't...! I was too late!"</p><p>Remi wiped her eyes from the tears clouding her vision. "I don't want the same thing to happen to you too...! I can't lose you to EMBER Blyke...! I just can't...!"</p><p>Blyke stood up, placing his hands on her shoulders. "Remi...I'm sorry...I never intended for things to get serious. Please don't be angry with me..." Remi grabbed his wrists slightly. It wasn't in a harsh fashion but rather a soft one, almost in a pleading way for him to listen. "I'm not angry...! I'm scared! I don't want anything to happen to you...!" She wrapped her arms around his waist tightly. </p><p>Blyke was shocked at first, but he eventually hugged her back. Isen eventually joined in, hugging them both. "You're such an idiot Blyke...! There are other ways to get stronger besides putting yourself in danger...! I swear, if you ever do anything like that again, I'm killing you myself, got it?!"</p><p>Blyke chuckled slightly but nodded. "Yeah, I got it..." They stood in their group hug for a minute longer before pulling apart. </p><p>Isen looked at Blyke. "I hope you've realized the huge amount of danger you've put us all in..." </p><p>Blyke raise an eyebrow before Isen continued. </p><p>"You're all over the news now. Not to mention that we have <em><b>them</b></em> right outside our doorstep." The teen pointed outside to where the police lights were still feverishly blinking. "The authorities could come in here and arrest you right now if we're not careful. Not to mention that Volcan, hell, even EMBER now has a description of what you look like as well as your ability."</p><p>Blyke looked at the floor before sitting back down on the couch. "Sh*t..." Remi crossed her arms slightly. "Look, they don't know that Blyke goes here. As long as we stay low and Blyke promises not do do anymore...activities...he'll be fine. Besides, the authorities have their hands full at the school right now." </p><p>Blyke rubbed his temples. "I hope so...but look, I'm not going to do anything else regarding superheros. I already decided I'm done being a vigilante."</p><p>Isen crossed his arms. "Ok, but do you think that's going to matter? EMBER targets superheros; people who challenge the hierarchy and the authorities. When you went out there, you made a statement that you don't care about the rules of the system, that you're not afraid to defy them. If our theory about EMBER and the authorities is true, it won't matter if you stop."</p><p>Blyke's eyes widened at the next words that left Isen's mouth.</p><p><em>"To them, you are now a threat."</em> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The three of them jumped when there was a knock on the door. </p><p>Thoughts raced through everyone's head, namely worse case scenario's of who could be waiting on the other side.</p><p>Even though Blyke didn't want to, he knew they had to answer it. Blyke's footfalls felt heavy as he found himself walking towards the door with baited breath. </p><p>His hand trembled over the handle as he slowly opened it, peaking through the crack slightly. </p><p>Relief flooded through him as he saw that it was just a green haired mid-tier with teal eyes, a clipboard resting under his arm. He was playing around with the pen attached to the board on a string. Blyke let out faint sigh and opened the door wider. "Uh, hello?"</p><p>The mid-tier jumped slightly. "Blyke?! S-Sorry! I didn't mean to bother you or anything." He looked down at his clipboard, flipping through a couple of papers while muttering to himself. "Do I have the wrong room...?" The redhead waved it off. "It's fine. Uh...what's with the clipboard?" He pointed to the thing resting in the second-years hands. </p><p>"Oh...Keene instructed us to do a head count of the boys dorms. I didn't think you were here since your assigned dorm is on someone else's list."  </p><p>Blyke nodded. "Yeah, I moved in with Isen after the whole uh, 'Joker scenario'...ya know?" The boy nodded, understanding what he meant. "Yeah, I get it. Uh, could you bring Isen out here?" The redhead nodded before calling the teen over. Isen rushed over, almost tripping as he stood next to Blyke. "Whatisitwhatsgoingon?!" Blyke sighed. "Relax. It's just someone here to do a headcount."</p><p>The boy nodded again. "Keene wanted us to have everyone write there names down. You know how organized he likes to be especially when it comes to security." The two teens nodded before writing down their names next to the dorm number. </p><p>"Thank you." The boy bowed his head slightly before he walked away, the other two nodding back as they closed the door.  </p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>Walking down the hallways of the boys dorm, Gavin huffed, not believing he had been assigned to do this. He and several other mid-tiers had been tasked by Keene and the doc to go through each floor and do a head count. Gavin was in charge of the 4th floor, almost done besides the dorm at the end of the hallway. Gavin shuddered, knowing who's door he was going to have to knock on.</p><p>He prayed that he would get the more mild of the two aggressive teens to answer the door. </p><p>He steadied himself as his hand hovered over the door before knocking. He held the clipboard over his face, prepared to get a face full of fist, but it never came. </p><p>He peaked up slightly as he waited another 2 minutes before knocking again. </p><p>Still nothing. </p><p>Gavin sighed before marking absent next to the names he was searching for. They weren't the only people who didn't answer the door so he would give Keene the list of people who hadn't checked in for the headcount. Keene would have some words with them later.</p><p>He eventually checked back in with the others, ready to head back and report to Keene. One of the other's, a kid named Kalum walked over. "Hey Gavin? Did you have Blyke on your list?" Gavin looked down before nodding. "Yeah but he didn't answer the door." The greenette nodded before showing him his clipboard. "Well, he's rooming with Isen right now. I have his signature on my list." </p><p>Gavin raised an eyebrow as he eyed the name before shrugging. "Alright." He crossed out Blykes name on his list before walking out the door with the rest of the group who had just finished their task. </p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Chapter 9: end.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Claims</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Sitting in the nurses office shouldn't have been anything new for Keene. He was in there almost on the daily with Darren.</p><p>But usually, he didn't have the sounds of construction equipment and hammers nailing away against the floors. </p><p>Keene had resorted to coffee, the cool and relaxed man now as uptight as the doctor that sat across from him.</p><p>Darren stared at the man with a raised eyebrow. "Keene...are you alright? That's your 5th cup today and I'm starting to get worried." The doctor jumped as Keene slammed the cup down on the desk, eyeing him with a look of betrayal. </p><p>"Like you're one to talk! You have a drinking problem when it comes to the stuff!" Darren sighed and took the cup away from the man.</p><p>Oh, how the tides have turned. </p><p>"Keene, that's enough. You've been working non-stop for 4 days straight now. Take a break."</p><p>Keene huffed and reached for the cup again. "Darren, no. I can't stop...not while the school needs me...not when Vaughn needs me." </p><p>Darren sighed. He knew taking on the responsibility of headmaster had been difficult on the man, but ever since they found out that Vaughn was going to be in a medically induced coma for the next month and a half to recover, Keene had been working himself to the bone.</p><p>Honestly, all the teachers were worried for him.</p><p>He still had to uphold his responsibilities as groundskeeper and now he had to take on the safety and well being of the school. </p><p>Darren moved the cup to another table and stood up. "Keene, look at me." The man sighed and looked up, dark bags adorning the bottom of his eyes. Darren sighed as he rounded the table and placed a hand on the mans shoulder. "Go take a break and get some sleep. You are going to pass out where you sit if you keep going like this. Let me and the other teachers take care of some of this." </p><p>Keene went to argue but Darren gave him a look that said 'do it or I'll have to sedate you.' Keene sighed and got up. "Alright...but the second there's anything happening-" Darren rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, I'll wake you up and let you know. Just get some sleep already!"</p><p>Keene gave a faint smile before grabbing his things and heading home for the morning. </p><p>Darren sat down and started going through the papers in Keene's unmarked pile. He looked over bills, forms, even notices from some of the teachers before getting to the headcount list.  </p><p>He looked over the list, marking down the names of students who hadn't checked in yet. Of those who hadn't checked in, he would leave them a note. If they didn't get back by the end of the weekend, he would break down their door. </p><p>Darren looked up when he heard a knock. "Come in." He saw a man with periwinkle hair and sapphire blue eyes walk in. Darren recognized him as detective Kace, one of the men taking on their little arson issue. He was a relatively tall man but he looked harmless. The man almost reminded everyone of a really large stuffed animal.</p><p>"Ah, detective Kace. What can I help you with?" The man gave a grim smile as he walked over and placed down a packet on the table. "We found some evidence that we figured you and Mr. Keene would like to look at. I'm...I'm afraid to say it isn't good."</p><p>Darren looked at the packet before turning his attention back to the man. "Keene had to leave for the morning. Would you like me to grab him?" Kace only shook his head, his voice warm and welcoming. "Oh no, please. I'm sure he's busy enough as it is. We only wanted the both of you to look at this before we made the announcement public." </p><p>Darren raised an eyebrow before opening the packet. His eyes widened when he read over the overall evidence provided and the photo's that accompanied it. "No, this can't be right...Vaughn...Vaughn would never do something like this."</p><p>Kace only shook his head, eyebrows furrowing in disappointment. "I'm sorry to tell you this, but it's true. All the evidence provided supports this." Darren stood up. "Vaughn would never burn down the school to get out of claims this big. You people are claiming he has ties to...to these monsters. Doesn't that sound ridiculous to you?"</p><p>The man pulled the rest of the photo's out. "Believe me, I also found this ludicrous at first. <em>I wish</em> we were making all of this up. But considering the fact we found <em>these</em> in a safe behind his shelves, we have every reason to believe that he's connected to these people." Darren took the photos, eyes going wide when he saw the folders adorned with red ink. Inside were several files, files describing <em>everything</em>... </p><p>Part of him didn't want to believe this. But the part of him that always doubted Vaughn made itself known. Right now, he didn't know what to think but all the evidence only pointed to one conclusion.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>Elaine finished baking a batch of macaroons, trying out a new recipe. She was happy with how they came out, wanting to make some for everyone. She would stop by everyone's dorms later and drop off a box once she finished the filling for them.</p><p>As she was mixing the frosting, she heard her phone vibrate, signaling someone was trying to call her. She raised an eyebrow as she wiped the sugar off her hands. She quickly looked at her contacts before picking up. "Hello? Arlo?" </p><p>{"Elaine! Turn on the news right now!"} The bluette raised her eyebrows as she went to the living room and grabbed the remote as Seraphina walked in with a mug of hot chocolate. "Why? Arlo, what's going on?" </p><p>Elaine clicked the power button and changed the channel to the local news. Seraphina walked over and stood next to her as the words 'BREAKING NEWS!' passed over the screen.</p><p>Seraphina looked at Elaine. "Turn up the volume..." Elaine did so as she held the phone in front of her, putting Arlo on speaker.</p><p>The familiar face of a news anchor appeared on the screen. Her familiar orange/red bob-cut and red eyes stared straight at the screen.</p><p>/"Breaking news coming from Wellston. After a disastrous fire ravaged Wellston Private High School, leaving many terrified but no one killed, it was discovered by authorities earlier last night that the fire was indeed an act of arson. The culprit? None other than Wellston Private High's own headmaster Vaughn."/</p><p>Seraphina's eyes went wide as Elaine let a gasp escape her lips.</p><p>/"The headmaster of Wellston had been admitted earlier into the hospital earlier this week, multiple degree burns and injuries leaving him in critical condition. According to authorities, he purposely started the fire in an attempt to get rid of evidence incriminating him. Let's go to Quinn who is with the authorities right now."/</p><p>Remi stared at the TV in the main common room, a couple other students staring at the TV in shock with her. A girl dropped her tea, breaking the cup and spilling the hot liquid everywhere.</p><p>/The screen flipped over to another news anchor with dandelion yellow hair in a braid and salmon colored eyes. Two adults stood next to her, their names popping up underneath them. "Thank you Dana. I'm here with detective Valerie and detective Kace, members of the authorities who are both working on trying to figure out what could have possibly cause Wellston's own headmaster to commit such a heinous act. Detective Valerie, what can you tell us about the claims against headmaster Vaughn?" Valerie looked at the anchor, a current of calmness and formality radiating from her. "We have had our suspicions for months now, but from what we know and have found so far, headmaster Vaughn has been found to have connections to the terrorist organization: EMBER."/</p><p>Isen sat on the couch, Blyke next to him as the pair stared at Isen's laptop screen with wide eyes. Blyke ran a hand through his hair, not believing what he just heard. "No way..." Isen scrunched his face up. "This is bullsh*t! Where's the proof?!" </p><p>/The news anchor froze in place. "E-EMBER? Please, could you elaborate on the evidence you found?" Kace looked at the woman. "We can't share anything extensive, however, we can share that we found a secret stash of multiple files relating to the vigilantes who have been killed so far. We also found information regarding their abilities and who they may be related to. We don't want to give out any confidential information regarding them however. Their families are probably grieving enough as it is."/</p><p>Arlo stood in front of the flat screen in his apartment, phone pressed against his ear with Elaine on the other end. He wasn't there when Valerie and the others had discovered the files. Valerie had briefly told him they found something regarding what had happened, but Arlo <em>never</em> could have imagined it was anything like this. </p><p>{"Elaine...? You guys are seeing this too, right...?"} Elaine nodded slightly, her voice cracking a little. "Y-Yeah...we're seeing this..."</p><p>Seraphina placed her cup down as they continued to watch.</p><p>/"I see. Is there any information you can give us on EMBER's movements or anything else related to the case?" Valerie only shook her head, honey eyes bright in contrast to her grim expression. "I'm sorry, but no. That's all the question's we can answer for today." Quinn nodded her head. "Alright. Thank you for your time." She turned back to the camera. "We'll keep you posted with updates as this story continues to unfold. Back to you Dana." The screen went back over to the original news anchor from the beginning. "Thank you Quinn. We'll keep you updated with the latest developments."/</p><p>Everyone watching the news could only just stare in shock. </p><p>To them, this all felt like some crazy fever dream. They never could have imagined that their own headmaster, was a mass murderer, or rather was aiding mass murderers. </p><p>Most of the students seemed to believe it. But for a select few, they wouldn't. Not until they had all the information on this matter.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>Sitting inside the school's cafeteria, Valerie stirred her coffee with a spoon, the warm liquid steaming out of her mug.</p><p>The blonde looked up as she heard footsteps approach her. Her honey eyes met a pair of confused and irritated aqua ones. The woman ceased her stirring as she looked at her nephew. "Ah, Arlo. I wasn't expecting you here."</p><p>Arlo looked at her. "Aunt Val, what was all that about?" The woman raised an eyebrow. "What was what all about?" Arlo looked behind him before sitting down across from her. "The news? You know, our headmaster being connected to EMBER?"</p><p>Valerie finally nodded her head in understanding. "Ah, I see. Well, there's nothing to talk about really. We just happened to stumble across information that blew our entire EMBER case wide open."</p><p>The teen sighed. "I had a feeling that was the case, but why didn't you say anything regarding this before? You said you and your colleagues had your suspicions that it was Vaughn for months...even if you had a hunch, why didn't you say anything before?"</p><p>Valerie took a sip of her coffee. "Look Arlo, if I just walked up there and said that Vaughn was connected to EMBER, who would believe me? Not to mention that if I actually said that, it would've tipped Vaughn off that we were onto him. It's called 'playing your cards right.'"</p><p>He sighed before playing around with a lock of his hair. "Alright...I see what you mean. But, did you know he would do something like...well, this? And if you did, why didn't you do anything to stop him?" He gestured behind him at the burnt remains outside. </p><p>Valerie only shook her head. "No. But my department had a search and seizure warrant sent out to Vaughn which is what you found Monday night. Vaughn somehow knew we were already on to him. What we guess happened is that he got the warrant, panicked, and then tried to destroy all the evidence he had since we were supposed to come later this week. In the end, he only screwed himself over by almost burning down half the building with himself in it."</p><p>Arlo mulled over it for a bit. "Honestly, I just can't believe that it's him. He's a great man and he's always had our best interests at heart. it's just difficult to believe that he would do something like this." </p><p>Valerie took another sip of her drink before she spoke up again. "Take it from me Arlo: sometimes our enemies lie right underneath our noses. We as high tiers have to keep our guard up. We can't be seen as weak during these trying times when everyone we'll be looking to us for reassurance."</p><p>The blonde nodded before sighing. "Yeah, I get it. Sorry. All of this just seems so difficult to believe." Valerie patted his shoulder. "And that's alright. With everything that's happened over the past week, I can understand why this is such a shock for everyone. But if you see your groundskeeper again, I'd recommend having him start looking for a new headmaster before things start getting out of hand."</p><p>The teen nodded before leaving, deciding to head back to his apartment and get some rest. As he was leaving however, he received a call from Keene. "Mr. Keene?" The man on the other end sighed before speaking. {"Arlo, I know you're not going to like this, but I need you to start packing up your things."} </p><p>The blonde raised an eyebrow. "What?! But, why sir? And why now of all times?" </p><p>{"Arlo, the press is getting ravenous right now for interviews with the students. I just got 3 reports in from some seniors that they're being harassed and stalked by large groups of press goers and interviewers. Between with what happened with Seraphina being attacked by a large group of people and now <em>this</em>...I'm not risking anyone else's safety, especially yours."}</p><p>The blonde only huffed as the groundskeeper continued. {"You're not the only one I have to relocate Arlo. I have to move back half the graduating class into the dorms. But please, don't make my job more difficult than it needs to be."} Arlo ran a hand through his hair but sighed. "Alright. Just give me some time to pack."</p><p>{"No problem. I'll let your roommate know you're coming."} Arlo raised an eyebrow, confusion running through is mind. "Wait, roommate? Who's my roommate?"</p><p>{"Aaaaand this is where you're going to hate me. Look, I want you to know, I had no other choice in the matter-"} Arlo facepalmed. "Mr. Keene, who is it?!"</p><p>{"John...it's John."}</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Keene pulled the phone away from his ear as he heard the teen yell out, his voice almost popping the speaker. {"<b>ARE YOU SERIOUS KEENE?! ARE YOU <em>TRYING</em> TO GET ME KILLED?!</b>"} </p><p>The man sighed. "I'll be there tomorrow morning to help you move your things. See you then."</p><p>{" WAIT, KEENE-!"} The groundskeeper quickly hung up, not wanting to deal with the teens frustration. </p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Chapter 10: end.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Vanished</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Walking into the boys dorms early on a Saturday morning was the last thing Darren had on his mind. </p>
<p>It was cold, it was raining, and he hadn't had any coffee yet. </p>
<p>But somehow, he was there in the dreary weather to take care of some business. Unfortunately Keene had forbid him from kicking down a certain ravenette's door so instead, he had to go ask Blyke for his keys. </p>
<p>Other students just now waking up avoided him as he stormed up the stairs, heading to the 3rd floor dorms where Isen and Blyke's dorm was.</p>
<p>The man grumbled out profanities as he tapped his knuckles against the wood door with force. He was in no mood to wait around.</p>
<p>A groan was heard as someone stumbled on the other side, sounding like they were tripping over something. Darren stepped back as a very drowsy Isen opened the door, sleep still very much in his eyes. "Huh...? Doc? What are you doing here so...*yawn* early...?" Doc sighed. "I need to borrow Blyke. I need his keys to get into his old dorm and talk to John."</p>
<p>At the mention of the ravenette, Isen's eyes flew open. He was about to protest when Darren spoke up. "Isen. I'm not in the mood. I just walked through the pouring rain to get here and I haven't even had my coffee yet." Isen went pale but nodded in response. "A-Alright. L-Let me go wake him up..."</p>
<p>He shut the door as he went back in. The doctor raised an eyebrow when he heard yelling, something smacking against the wall before someone else stumbled to the door and opened it. Blyke slumped out in his pj's and socks, pulling his shoes on. "Hey doc...Isen said you needed me?" Darren nodded. "I need your help talking to your ex-roommate. He hasn't checked in yet and Keene needs to finish his headcount list."</p>
<p>The teen went pale with fear before the man huffed. "Relax Blyke. I'll be with you the whole time. It's not like I'm asking you to fight him. I just need your keys." The teen bit his lip before nodding. "Alright..." The doctor nodded and waved for the teen to follow him up to the 4th floor once his keys were securely in his pocket. </p>
<p>.</p>
<p>.</p>
<p>.</p>
<p>Blyke stopped next to doc before handing him the keys. Darren mumbled a 'Thanks.' He knocked harshly against the door. "John?! Open up!" Darren rolled his eyes before using the keys and walking in. "John! Get your *ss out here!" </p>
<p>The teen hesitantly followed the man in. They were surprised to find that nothing was out of place. Darren raised an eyebrow, obviously confused. "John?" </p>
<p>Blyke walked down the hall and looked in his old room which had remained untouched, dust starting to settle on his bed frame. He gingerly brushed his hand against the soft fabric of his bedding, wanting so badly to just lay down and sleep for a year.</p>
<p>He and Isen had wanted to talk with Keene about switching dorms, but rumor has it that seniors were being relocated into the dorms again and they needed all the space they could get.  </p>
<p>As much as he wanted his bed back, he had other things to take care of.</p>
<p>He left and went to the living room and found it tidy as well. It was like the entire dorm hadn't been used in a week. He checked the bathroom but it was also just as tidy. </p>
<p>Blyke had an eerie feeling start crawling up his back. The entire place looked unused, abandoned. He walked into the kitchen and saw a half eaten apple sitting on the counter. </p>
<p>Except, it was almost rotted into the surface. </p>
<p>Blyke almost gagged from the smell before he grabbed a paper towel off the roll next to the sink and swept the rotting fruit into the trash. </p>
<p>Ok, now something <em>really</em> wasn't right. Despite how little he knew about John, he knew the teen wasn't a slob. He kept everything as tidy as possible and always threw out his trash. The fact that rotting fruit of all things was sitting on the counter raised a huge red flag for Blyke.</p>
<p>He looked over when he saw Doc walk into the kitchen, looking around in confusion. "Have you seen John?" Blyke shook his head. The man rubbed his face with a sigh. </p>
<p>"He's not here. John, he's not here." Blyke raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure?" Darren only glared at him before Blyke backed up slightly. </p>
<p>"Ok, ok...maybe he's just on a morning run? I remember he would leave early to run sometimes." Despite how much he wanted to believe something was wrong, he had to keep his head. It was probably nothing anyways as the teen always did what he pleased, tending to keep to himself.</p>
<p>Doc scratched the back of his neck. "Most likely. Either that, or he's just out getting some fresh air. It's fine. We'll just ask Keene and come back later then."</p>
<p>Blyke nodded as he and Darren left the empty apartment. They were about to head back down when they saw a familiar blonde walk up the stairs, Keene in tow behind him with a duffel bag. "A-Arlo? What are you doing here?"</p>
<p>The blonde huffed slightly, irritation written all over his features. "In light of everything that's happened, Keene is having me move to the dorms for awhile until this madness gets sorted out. Since you moved in with Isen, I now have the pleasure of rooming with <em>him</em>..." Arlo finished the last part, teeth gritted. </p>
<p>Blyke cringed before looking at the groundskeeper. "Keene, you know they're going to be at each others throats, right?" </p>
<p>The tired man shrugged. "Look, I wasn't expecting to have to relocate half the graduating class back into the dorms. I'll make adjustments as I go, but for now, since they're both the strongest males in the school, I have to room them together. Anyways, where's John? I have to <em>somehow</em> explain this without him slamming the door in my face." </p>
<p>The redhead and the doctor both looked at each other before looking at Keene. "Actually Keene..." Blyke finished the sentence. "We were going to ask you the same thing."</p>
<p>Keene raised an eyebrow before Darren continued. "I had Blyke let me in to John's dorm because he hasn't checked in for the headcount yet. But when we got in, he wasn't there. We were actually on our way to ask you if he left campus to go on a morning jog or to run some errands."</p>
<p>Keene's eyes went a bit wide. "I...I haven't seen him either...I also haven't been letting anyone leave campus since the fire happened. Are you sure he wasn't there?" </p>
<p>Blyke looked back and forth slightly, weary of this new information.</p>
<p>This...wasn't good.</p>
<p>"Well...if he's not here, where could he be?" Darren looked at the redhead, hearing the slight edge in the teens voice. </p>
<p>"Calm down Blyke. There's no reason to lose our heads. He's probably just be wandering around campus to get some fresh air." The doctor crossed his arms, silent as thoughts raced his mind. "Alright. Blyke, go grab Isen and tell him to meet me outside. Keene, help Arlo settle in and meet us outside. We'll just go and ask around if anyone has seen him."</p>
<p>.</p>
<p>.</p>
<p>.</p>
<p>Isen groaned as he stumbled down the stairs. "Tell me again why we're out here?" Blyke sighed. "Because Darren needs your help tracking John." At the mention of the ravenette, Isen went bug-eyed, starting to back away as he raised his arms. "What?! Hell no!" Blyke only raised an eyebrow. "Isen-"</p>
<p>Isen shook his head once again. "Blyke, there is nothing in this world that can get me to go looking for that maniac! He already hates my *ss enough as it is! If he finds out we've been tracking him-"</p>
<p>"Isen, relax. We have Doc and Keene with us." The orange haired male huffed as he eventually started walking with him. "That's what I'm afraid of..."</p>
<p>They eventually met up with the others outside. Darren looked miserable as he rubbed his arms, huddled in his rain jacket.</p>
<p>The doctor looked to Isen. "Can you use your ability to scan for John?" The teen huffed before nodding. "Sure. Just give me a second." Isen's eyes glowed a bright red as he looked around. "So far I'm not seeing anything, but let's go ahead and split up." Keene nodded. "Sure. Keene and I will take the area around the school. You and Blyke can take the dorms."</p>
<p>The duo felt their pulses pick up. They didn't want to run into the schools wild card, the <em>Joker</em> of all people, without at least one teacher to keep him at bay. Isen now really did think that the teachers had it out for them.</p>
<p>Eventually, the three teens nodded before going to find the ravenette, despite their better judgement.</p>
<p>The duo decided to start off in the boys dorms. Blyke decided to take the area outside the building to look along the sidewalks while Isen took the inside to search.</p>
<p>Floor after floor and dorm after dorm, Isen didn't see any trace of the teen. He eventually came back outside and walked over to the other teen. "Any sign of him?" Blyke shook his head and only crossed his arms as he spoke up. "Nothing. We didn't see him anywhere on the paths around the school." </p>
<p>Isen sighed. "Alright. Let's head towards the girl's dorms. Maybe he's passing by."</p>
<p>The other nodded but Isen could see the worry in Blyke's face. He stopped next to the teen as they walked. "Bro, are you ok? You look like you've seen a ghost." Blyke bit his lip before lowering his voice. "Honestly Isen...I'm worried." </p>
<p>The orange haired teen raised an eyebrow. "Why? I mean, we may be looking for a monster we know is going to maim us, but as long as we don't get close or antagonize him, we'll be fine." Blyke only looked at Isen and shook his head. "That's not what I meant." </p>
<p>His friend raised an eyebrow before the redhead continued. "I mean that this all seems really suspicious. We get ourselves involved with EMBER and all of a sudden, the school catches on fire, Vaughn ends up in the hospital and is claimed to be helping them, not to mention that my former roommate is now missing-" </p>
<p>Isen raised his hands. "Hold up Blyke. We don't even know if he's actually missing. He could just be wandering around campus since there's nothing to do. But...I will admit, this is all a bit suspicious. Let's at least keep our guard up..."</p>
<p>The teen nodded as they continued to walk down the path. Isen looked around the area of the girls dorms. "Still not seeing him..." They went through floor after floor, their panic building up when they got to the fifth floor as still found no sigh or trace of the ravenette.</p>
<p>Blyke huffed as he placed his hands on his knees, tired from jogging up so many stairs. He and Isen looked up when they saw a familiar girl walk out in her pj's, teal hair pinned back and a coffee mug in her hand. She arched an eyebrow in annoyance when she saw the two and stood in front of them.</p>
<p>"Oh, it's you two...what are <em>you</em> doing here so early? Came to see Remi?" Blyke rolled his eyes. "No. Look, we don't have time for this-" He tried walking past her but Cecile activated her abilities, pushing the two back. "Look, I don't care what business you have here. Boys aren't allowed in the dorms before 9:00 am. Leave."</p>
<p>Blyke let a beam start charging up in his hand before Isen held him back. "Blyke, no. We have to find him first."</p>
<p>This comment earned a confused glance from the press leader. "Wait, find who?" The two teens looked at one another. </p>
<p>They could not trust Cecile. Knowing her, she'd just use this whole situation to her advantage. The last thing anyone needed was for John to be claimed as missing in the school paper when he could just be taking a jog around campus. </p>
<p>Isen shook his head. "Doesn't matter. We'll just come back later."</p>
<p>They briskly made their way back down to the fourth floor, leaving Cecile standing there in confusion and slight irritation.</p>
<p>When the two boys got to the fourth floor, they spotted Elaine. Isen felt the light bulb go off in his head and raced after her. "Elaine!" The bluette almost spilled her orange juice as she looked behind her. "I-Isen?! W-What are you doing here?" Isen shook his head. "I'll explain later. Can you please get Seraphina? We need to talk to her." Blyke rushed over, wiping the water out of his eyes that was still dripping from his soaked hair. "Please! It's urgent!" </p>
<p>The girl only nodded slightly before rushing back inside. The two heard someone grumble as they approached the door. </p>
<p>Seraphina yanked open the door, sleep in her eyes. Her extensions were gone, leaving her short hair free. She looked absolutely done with everything despite the fact she just woke up. The two were lucky she didn't have her abilities, otherwise they'd be on the other side of campus by now.</p>
<p>"It's barely 7:50 in the morning. You two better have a good reason for having Elaine wake me up early on a weekend." </p>
<p>Isen looked at Blyke before back to her, his face set in a stern expression. "Seraphina, when was the last time you've seen John? And have you seen him around campus at all?"</p>
<p>The magenta haired girl raised an eyebrow. "No, why? What's going on?" Her voice filled up with concern when she saw the growing panic in the two boys faces. The two looked at each other, now really worried. "We're looking for him. Darren went to talk to him this morning and he wasn't there. We were wondering if you've seen or heard from him?"</p>
<p>Seraphina's eyes went a bit wide. "I haven't seen John since before last week..." The two teens standing in front of her all went pale, their eyes going wide. </p>
<p>They looked at each other before turning their heads towards the stairs. Keene and Darren raced up, rushing over to the group. "He's not here...! We checked all over campus but he's not here!" Keene looked at the teens.</p>
<p>Seraphina felt her blood run cold. She quickly ran to grab a jacket and her shoes before racing out the door. "Are you sure he's not somewhere off campus?!" She fumbled with her keys as she locked the door. The two adults nodded as Keene cleaned his glasses off of all the rain water. "We haven't been letting anyone on or off campus besides the authorities. I would've felt him pass through the security barrier if he had left!"</p>
<p>Seraphina tossed her hood over her head. "Let's keep looking then! He HAS to be here somewhere!"</p>
<p>The five of them raced out of the girls dorm into the pouring rain, desperately looking for the ravenette.</p>
<p>.</p>
<p>.</p>
<p>.</p>
<p>Seraphina raced across campus through the pouring rain, soaked to the bone as she ran back and forth from sidewalk to building and back again.</p>
<p>She yanked out her phone, using her hood as an umbrella to allow her to see her screen. She quickly pulled up the contact and pressed call, the tone ringing through as she continued to run across campus.</p>
<p>'Please pick up...! Please, please, PLEASE pick up!' The call dropped as it went to voice mail. The girl swore under her breath as she continued to run. </p>
<p>She kept calling, over and over again and the answer was still the same: silence.</p>
<p>Seraphina stopped when she reached the other side of the campus, the call dropping again as the voice mail pulled up again. "John...I don't know where you are but please pick up..." She hung up as she let her voice mail sit in his inbox.</p>
<p>Maybe the others had some luck? </p>
<p>She met with the other four members of their little search party in the landing of the boys dorm.</p>
<p>She yanked off her soaked jacket as she looked at the others standing before her. Despite their shocked and overall terrified expressions, she needed to ask. "Please...please tell me someone found him..."</p>
<p>Doc only looked at her, his face pale and expression grim as he shook his head. Blyke shook his head that rested in his hands. He was sitting on the floor with his back against the wall. Isen stood next to him, bearing the same expression Blyke wore. Keene was pacing back and forth, running his hands through his hair. </p>
<p>Isen spoke up. "We looked everywhere Seraphina...we didn't see him anywhere...it's like he's just vanished..."</p>
<p>Seraphina felt herself sink down to her knees, shock starting to take effect. </p>
<p>Her best friend was missing...</p>
<p>He had gone missing less than a week after a fire at the school...</p>
<p>The strongest student in Wellston was now unaccounted for...</p>
<p>Seraphina stared at the floor in front of her, the words playing in her head starting to flow through her lips. </p>
<p>"John...where are you...?"</p>
<p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Chapter 11: end.</p>
<p>A/N: Hehehe...get ready for chapter 12. &gt;:)</p>
<p>-KittCat.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. Nightmare</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>
    <em>*One week earlier...*</em>
  </strong>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>'You TYRANT! You </b>
  <b>
    <em>HYPOCRITE</em>
  </b>
  <b>
    <em>! </em>
  </b>
  <b>I </b>
  <b>
    <em>NEVER </em>
  </b>
  <b>should have helped you!'</b>
</p><p>'STOP!'</p><p>
  <b>'All this strength you have now, you don't deserve ANY of it!</b>
</p><p>'STOP IT!'</p><p>
  <b>'I wish I NEVER met you!'</b>
</p><p>'SHUT UP!'</p><p>
  <b>'MAKE ME!'</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>'Monster.'</b>
</p><p>.</p><p> </p><p>.</p><p> </p><p>.</p><p>Sleep...</p><p>All John wanted was some sleep.</p><p>He yearned for the satisfaction of a night well rested.</p><p>Just a nice, comfy mattress, pillow tucked under his head and the curtains of his room drawn slightly so the faint moonlight could peek through. No stress. No school. Just peace, quiet and sleep.</p><p>If only that could become a reality.</p><p>Why couldn't John just instantly fall asleep the second his head hit the pillow?</p><p>All he wanted was one night without all these voices wailing in his head. Thanks to them, he couldn't sleep. He hasn't gotten a full night's rest in months. He was so damn tired and his insomnia wasn't cutting him a break anytime soon. Though, when has he ever gotten a break? His life was as complicated and insane as it could get. Why <em>wouldn't</em> his sleep schedule be absolute trash?</p><p>Besides, now that he had unwillingly taken control of the school, he found there was a lot more to worry about than his sleeping habits.</p><p>Running this school had been stressful. He never intended on taking the position as king but, thanks to Isen and his newspaper skills, he had been outed to the entire school. John didn't want the school or to run its chaotic system but truly, he had nowhere to hide and nothing left to lose at this point. </p><p>He had already lost his copy of 'UnOrdinary,' his best friend, and his somewhat peaceful life. Why <em>not</em> add the remainder of his sanity to the list?</p><p>He currently had Cecile heading the school press again, which was already a huge risk with how she worked. Cecile was almost as cunning and manipulative as Arlo. <em>Almost</em>. Unlike Arlo, she didn't have the brain to back up her daring antics. </p><p>John could see right through her and would have absolutely <em>zero</em> tolerance for her bullsh*t. If she stepped out of line or f*cked up once, she was out. End of story. That was the deal she had signed up for when she helped John. If she expected anything different, she was a fool and should have made wiser choices.</p><p>Speaking of choices, Remi and her ragtag team were opening 'The Safe House.' Students were now being given the option to join a club that would quote 'help everyone of all tiers get along and feel safe.' </p><p>Oh, NOW they cared about the well-being of lower tiers?! Did they not see how suspicious this looked? Did they not think that he knew where this would lead? Just how stupid did they think he was?! John knew that with enough high tiers at the helm, they could <em>easily</em> convince students to try and gang up in an attempt to take him down. And John was <b>not</b> about to go through the New Boston incident again. </p><p>But, it's not like Remi, Blyke or any of the others would listen to him anyways. She was hellbent on making this stupid club happen and John could only do so much to stop them on his own. He had been trying to take down as many flyers as he could, but when one paper came off of the board, it seemed like three more had taken its place. </p><p>This led to his next and most recent headache.</p><p>Zeke and his lackeys were an absolute pain to deal with. That two-faced snake would not leave him alone no matter what he did. John knew he was just trying to suck up to him so he wouldn't face any of John's wrath down the line. </p><p>Truly, John just wanted to be left alone. </p><p>He didn't want to be like Arlo with henchmen to do all his dirty work and even then, he would never want nor allow Zeke of all people in his inner circle. But no matter how many times he tried, Zeke could not be shaken off. So, John finally found something useful for him to do to get him out of his hair. </p><p>Thankfully, Zeke finally left him alone to fulfill his task of taking down as many flyers as he could and preventing students from wanting to join the safe house. In John's eyes, it truly was the only thing the pompous prick was good at.</p><p>After dealing with all of that, taking care of the royals duties, doing his homework and studying, John found no time for rest.</p><p>All of this was starting to become overwhelming. </p><p>He was constantly having to keep himself in check from beating students up whenever they would whisper about him or talk sh*t. Half of him just wanted to shut them all up. The other half didn't want to give the entire student body another reason to want him gone should the safe house be successful. </p><p>He decided he was going to consult with Doc about something to help him get at least a few hours of sleep because at this rate, he was going to black out.</p><p>Though, that may have already happened at this point.</p><p>John didn't remember much of the school day. In fact, he forgot if he was even at the school to begin with. He was just <em>now</em> waking up and he could tell it was already late in the afternoon. </p><p>John's mind felt hazy. </p><p><em>He</em> felt hazy. </p><p>It felt as if he had been shoved into water, leaving his thoughts submerged in the dark. </p><p>Eventually though, snippets of memories started to rise to the surface.</p><p>He remembered heading down to the main office to talk to Vaughn since a teacher had told him the headmaster wanted to see him. He remembered making it there, but he also remembered talking with Vaughn...</p><p>Maybe he saw Vaughn on his way there? But then why would he have continued walking to the office?</p><p>Wait. Why didn't he <em><b>remember</b></em> anything after making it to the office? </p><p>Something wasn't adding up here. How could he have seen Vaughn, who was in the main office, if he didn't even make it there to begin with?</p><p>Part of him wanted to believe it was a really strange dream. The other however, told him that these memories were in fact real. </p><p>He knew something had happened in the main office, but for the life of him, couldn't remember what it was.</p><p><em>'What happened?' </em>John flinched as his head began to hurt, feeling dizzy.</p><p>So many questions began piling up in the ravenette's mind. Unfortunately, he couldn't find anything that would lead him to the answers he was searching for.</p><p>Regardless, something was wrong. </p><p>Very, very wrong. </p><p>John could sense it and each minute that he slowly started coming to only confirmed that fact.</p><p>The first thing the teen could just barely make out was a faint but rattling hum. It sounded like a generator? No, a motor maybe? He didn't know what it was but the noise was enough to make him want to glue his ears shut.</p><p>He tried moving his arms and legs but they felt as if they were bounded; glued together even. He already heard alarms going off in his head, the soft vibrations of the wall behind him doing little to sooth his worries. John could feel his heart hammering in his chest as the floor beneath him swayed slightly. </p><p>Wherever he was, it sure as hell wasn't a safe place to be.</p><p>The next thing John could pick up was talking. John tried to sense where they were but it was no use. His powers weren't working. He couldn't sense their auras at all! </p><p>It was like his passive had been shut off like a light. </p><p>John only knew of one other time this happened-...no, he'd rather not jump to conclusions just yet.</p><p>He could tell there were a couple of people far off to the side of him, most likely further up in the vehicle. By the sounds of their voices, they were not pleased.</p><p>A man's was the first one he found. The gravel laced voice sounded strained, tired even. "...-sure we should keep the kid here? What if they come after-...?" Whatever it was they were talking about, this man did not entirely agree with.</p><p>That's when he picked up another voice, younger and belonging to a female. Unlike the man, she had the tongue of a viper. "You know we can't let him go. He's a threat to-... He can't be allowed-..." Her voice was almost venomous. John couldn't help the distressing chill that ran up his spine upon hearing such a voice. </p><p>The teen already knew without even having to open his eyes, that she would be the more dangerous of the two.</p><p>John heard the man only growl in frustration as the woman finished her statement. "Fine! But know that I don't agree with this. If word gets out, they will come after us regardless of-... Let's just-... He can get something useful out of this kid."</p><p>John couldn't pick up everything they were saying. One thing was certain though, he wasn't at Wellston anymore and that was enough to cause his pulse to race inside of him.</p><p>He was in a strange area with unknown people. How the hell had he gotten into this mess to begin with? What happened at Wellst-?!</p><p>John's eyes flew open as a shard of his buried memories poked through his mind. </p><p>A fragment of a dream or rather...a memory. </p><p>It was a disturbing one and just thinking about it made John tremble down to his core.</p><p>'No...' He thought. It was all just another one of his night terrors. What happened in his dream couldn't have been real, could it?</p><p>Deep down though, John knew it was true. His dreams were not just random occurrences. They were memories of what had already happened, of what was already <b>real</b>. </p><p>That's what made his nightmares so terrifying.</p><p>It shouldn't have been possible. He didn't want to believe that such a thing had the chance of happening. </p><p>John wished it wasn't true but unfortunately, what lay before him brought his dark theory to life as his vision cleared and he looked at his un-welcomed surroundings.</p><p>He was propped up in the back corner of an old and corroded van. The smell of rust and mildew hit John's nose like a train, causing him to gag a little. His hands were restrained behind him and his legs bounded together in front of him, both in duct tape. He had a strip over his mouth as well, silencing any noise that came through his chapped lips.</p><p>The back doors of the van were bound shut with a lock and chain over its handle. No other entrances were present besides those and the ones in the front seats. John had no chance of getting up front in his current state. John tried activating his ability but unfortunately, his hold over the ones he had copied was long gone by now. He thought of checking for his phone but realized it was useless to do so.</p><p>Why in the world would he think they would leave a mobile device on him? These people obviously knew what they were doing.</p><p>They locked off any exit, there were no sharp objects on the floor or in easy to reach places and there were two people up towards the front of the van, not to mention the driver. Even if he had broken out of his bonds, how the hell was he supposed to figure out how to escape these people?</p><p>They were the same people who had taken down the headmaster! Not to mention that all of their abilities had been dampened when they were-</p><p>John's blood ran cold as his thoughts caught up to him.</p><p>Just from that fact alone, he could only assume they were the same group of people who had attacked Seraphina and taken her powers. </p><p>They almost <em>killed</em> her. </p><p>Had she not gone back to John who proceeded to call Elaine and Arlo, she most likely wouldn't be here.</p><p>That's not to mention that these people also tried to abduct her when she went back to his place. They almost took her that night.</p><p>Except, Seraphina hadn't been <em>captured</em> by these men. </p><p>She may have been powerless, but she still had the chance to fight them off and get help. Now, John was the one in need of someone to rescue him. </p><p>Except, he <em>had</em> been captured by these people. Sera at least had the chance to run away and get to safety before passing out in his living room.</p><p>But as for John? He was completely vulnerable to them.</p><p>He had no phone.</p><p>He had no abilities.</p><p>He had no weapons.</p><p>He had no one to help him.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>He was on his own.</em>
</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>Reality finally settled in, causing John to panic.</p><p>He wrenched himself back and forth, struggling in his restraints. He couldn't help but freak out. He was being abducted by knife wielding murderers, dammit!</p><p>These people were bold and cunning enough to take down one of the schools most powerful people in one go, not to mention a student who can wield <b><em>more </em></b>than one amped up ability.</p><p>Now he was in an unidentified van being taken to who knows where, with the only person who knew what happened to him missing, captured or maybe even dead and he very well might end up meeting the same fate.</p><p>
  <em>What could he do?!</em>
</p><p>In his panic, John kicked his heel against the floor and cried out as a sharp pain made its way up his right leg. Immediately, he stopped his thrashing, though his anxiety had only heightened.</p><p>He was injured. Badly from the looks of it. John couldn't assess his wounds completely, but he could tell his leg was fractured or maybe even broken and the sharp pains running up his back did little to calm him. He felt something drip down the side of his face and into his eye, a feeling of nausea accompanying it. The strong, metallic scent that drifted into his nose only confirmed that it was blood. He already felt tired even though he had just woken up not too long ago which was a bad sign.</p><p>This situation just went from dangerous to deadly.</p><p>He was already a slow healer to begin with so it would take awhile for him to naturally heal. But now he was at a huge disadvantage. John had no chance of fighting back in the condition he was in.</p><p>A broken leg was the kiss of death for any fighter out there. Walking, running and even moving became very limited, almost downright impossible.</p><p>Even if he could fight back, he couldn't use his abilities. Not while they had that dampener still up and running. All it would take is for them to use that thing on him for even a minute and he was done.</p><p>Right now, this was probably the only other time he <em>wished</em> Arlo and Elaine were here. Their abilities would really come in handy right now.</p><p>Hell, <em>they</em> would come in handy right now!</p><p>He may have hated their guts, mostly Arlo's, but John couldn't deny that they were skilled fighters and had useful abilities.</p><p>Arlo had strategy on his side and a great defensive upper hand. He knew when to strike and any open opportunity he saw, he took full advantage of it.</p><p>Elaine, while annoying, was extremely quick on her feet. She thought fast and effectively, knowing exactly where to be. She also knew what wounds should be immediately treated and which ones could be patched up at a later time.</p><p>It was just some of the reasons he <em>hated</em> the two so much.</p><p>John thought that maybe someone had seen him being taken from the school. But what are the chances? Besides, it was only wishful thinking. He was probably miles away by now and he doubted they would be able to save him on their own. </p><p>Even <em>he</em> couldn't save him on his own!</p><p>Unfortunately for him, his earlier cry of pain did not go unnoticed by his captors.</p><p>John peaked up slightly as a semi-built man looked over him. He had periwinkle colored hair and sapphire blue eyes. Despite his sheer size, he seemed <em>less</em> intimidating than his counterpart.</p><p>The tanned woman, who had harsh, almost acidic looking orange hair and bright, blood red eyes, strode over and knelt down next to him. Her looks reminded John of a witch, though not in a good way.</p><p>Instead of being scary in a fun way, she was scary in a deadly way. John could barely sense her aura, but the power that radiated from her was enough to cause his head to spin. She wasn't as powerful as him, but she was close on the scale.</p><p>John had to look away from her slightly, fearing that her eyes would burn a hole into him. Her gaze felt as deadly as poison and overall he just felt uneasy around her.</p><p>Her whole being screamed 'Danger!' to him and he had no doubts about it. Everything about her seemed intimidating from her smirk to her eyes to even the way she held herself.</p><p>There was nothing but contempt on her face as she looked him over. "Well, look who's finally awake." She reached over to John's face with her talon-like fingers and ripped off the piece of tape covering his mouth.</p><p>The boy gasped and coughed a little, not expecting the sudden pain as they scratched his cheek. A bit of blood began to dribble down his chin as his coughing fit subsided. He huffed in pain, trying to buy himself some time to think and act.</p><p>John looked up at them and realized his options were very limited. These were not people to mess with. He couldn't lead them on or aggravate them into doing something stupid; they were too smart for that. He decided he would have to play his poker face.</p><p>John knew he needed answers. Besides, it wasn't like they were going to do much more damage to him than what was already done. They had the upper hand for now.</p><p>His abilities were dampened and he couldn't fully sense their auras. As long as they didn't activate their abilities, he was of no danger or threat to them. But that didn't mean they still couldn't hurt him if they wished.</p><p>He kept his expressions masked as he decided to ask his questions sparingly. "Where am I...? What do you want with me...?" He forced himself to keep his gaze steady as he looked between the woman and the man.</p><p>The pastel haired man only looked to his partner who smirked.</p><p>A bone chilling chuckle was the only thing that left her crimson stained lips. Listening to that laugh made John's soul run cold as both his captors looked down upon him.</p><p>John could practically hear her voice drip with venom as she began. "Don't worry John Doe. You'll figure everything out in due time. Besides, once we get to where we're going, you'll have all the time in the world to have your questions answered. We all know you can't fight back without someone to leech off of."</p><p>The teen couldn't help but let his mask slip a little. The ravenette was rarely intimidated, much less scared. But in this moment, he was terrified.</p><p>He couldn't bluff his way out, he couldn't fight or run. He was completely at their mercy. And John knew the one thing these people lacked <b>was</b> mercy.</p><p>John bit his lip slightly, careful with his next question. "What are you going to do to me...?"</p><p>The amber haired woman seemed to give it some thought. "Oh, you'll just have to wait and see. For now though..."</p><p>The ravenette hissed as he felt a sharp pinch in his neck. He could only listen to the woman mumble 'sweet dreams.' followed by her poisonous laugh.</p><p>John tried to fight back but it was useless. The world spun like a top and it felt like the ground had dropped out from beneath him. John let his eyes slip shut as the darkness engulfed his mind once more, his future and safety uncertain.</p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Chapter 12: end.</p><p>A/N: This was actually the chapter that started this whole book. I started writing it almost 4 months ago. It was going to be a one-shot idea but then I realized I was on to something here.</p><p>Hope you guys enjoy!</p><p>-KittCat.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0015"><h2>15. Imprisoned</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The air had gone bitter from autumns cold grasp as the sun disappeared into the night. The weather had turned just as sour; thick storm clouds beginning to roll in and loom over everyone below them with an ominous presence. </p><p>The air was enough to freeze the sweat that adorned Johns brow as he was half led, half dragged into the building that towered above him.</p><p>The teen was half unconscious, the world swaying each time he opened his eyes. He wanted to keep his eyes shut, but the logical side of his mind kept forcing them back open, trying to catch a glimpse at anything that could be of value.</p><p>Unfortunately for him, all he could make out was grey. </p><p>The concrete below them was grey, the giant brick walls that surrounded them were grey, even the sky which had been almost clear the whole week had been tinged with the shade. </p><p>The only reason he could see anything to begin with was due to the overly bright lamps that adorned the sides of the main gate, or, what John could only assume was a gate.</p><p>John blanked out again as he felt the people pulling him stop. When he opened his eyes again, he vaguely realized they were in a hallway of sorts. The florescent lights above them caused his eyes to sting but he forced himself to remain alert as he watched them draw closer to the end of the hallway. </p><p>He only vaguely realized he had zoned out again when he felt himself get shoved forward, his leg flaring up in pain. He hit the floor with a weak groan as he heard the door clamp shut behind him, plunging him into the dark.</p><p>All the ravenette could do was just lay there, his mind and body too sluggish to react. He was getting annoyed by the dull ringing in his ears but it was starting to fade into muffled noises. He couldn't see where he was and he didn't really know how he got there.</p><p>Where was he again? </p><p>He couldn't remember. Everything was too foggy for him. </p><p> </p><p>He thought about falling asleep for a few minutes as he lay there on the floor. </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>He felt so tired. His limbs felt like lead and his head hurt for some unfathomable reason. </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>He really wanted sleep...</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Maybe if he just let his eyes close for a little bit...</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <em>'It's not safe...' </em>
</p><p>His eyes cracked back open as the thought echoed throughout his head.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <em>'You're in danger.' </em>
</p><p>John groaned as his body began to move, the thoughts forcing him to obey.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <em>'<span class="u">Get up. NOW.'</span></em>
</p><p> </p><p>The last thought is what pushed John to sit up and look at his surroundings. </p><p>The haze surrounding his mind cleared away slightly, leaving him reeling from the pain that flared up in his temple. John hissed as he held his head, wincing when he pulled his hand away to reveal a thick crimson coating his palm.</p><p>'Blood? Why am I-...oh...oh no...' Memories of the past few hours rose through the remaining haze. The blank gaps filled themselves in as he looked around the almost pitch black room, the only source of light coming through the thin cracks between the door and the walls that bolted it in place.</p><p>All at once, everything was moving too fast. </p><p>One second, John was on his feet, staring into the darkness of the cell that confined him as his pulse beat in his ears and his heart threatened to break out of his rib cage. The next, he was up against the steel door, forcefully trying to will the strengthened metal to break. </p><p>He huffed as he pushed and shoved against the door with every fiber of his being, wanting nothing more than for it to snap off its hinges. </p><p>He had to get out. There's no telling what would happen if he stayed here.     </p><p>John backed up before running at the door full force, adrenaline coursing through his veins as he threw himself against it. He didn't care how much it hurt to throw his already aching body against the door. He continued to ram himself over and over against the metal, the door vibrating every time his shoulder collided with the re-enforced steel. </p><p>Sprint, <b>*S</b><b>LAM*</b> back up, repeat.  </p><p>It was on his 7th try when his strength finally gave out. He slumped against the floor, his legs trembling from throwing his body at full force against a door that he knew deep down wouldn't budge.</p><p>The ravenette rested his head against the cold surface and slammed his fist against it with a cry. It wasn't out of pain or fear, but frustration.</p><p>Frustration that he had been so easily captured, frustration towards the people who now kept him held up in this cell, but most of all, frustration towards <em>himself</em>.</p><p>Even with all this power at his fingertips, he was still <em>weak</em>! </p><p>He was a god-tier for f*cks sake! And yet, he couldn't break down a measly door! He was supposed to be strong yet right now, he was as useless as a cripple. It was one of the only downfalls of his ability and these people knew that.</p><p>He slammed his fist against the door again, taking his building frustration out on the un-moving surface. "DAMMIT! WHY WON'T YOU MOVE YOU STUPID PIECE OF SH*T?!" This continued on for awhile as he shouted curse after curse, almost screaming his lungs out as he slammed his fists against the metal, wanting to do something to it, wanting to inflict the same pain and damage that it did to him as it slowly bruised his fingers and knuckles. </p><p>He didn't know how long he attacked it but by the time he stopped, his voice was mostly gone and his knuckles were blooming black and blue. John just stared blankly at the door as he huffed with fatigue, his hands hurting from punching the door with all his strength. No matter what he did, it wasn't enough to break him out.</p><p>It just wasn't enough...</p><p>He gently dragged a hand against the area he had beaten up, letting his fingers trail over the metal that still remained un-scuffed and unharmed. </p><p>The door practically taunted the teen. It promised him freedom for the small price of prying it open. Except there was no price that <em>could</em> be paid. It would never open unless someone else intervened.</p><p>He sat on his knees as he just stared at the one thing keeping him locked inside this room, inside this <em>prison</em>. </p><p>The ravenette could do nothing else as he rested himself against the freezing metal, not able to keep fighting as exhaustion set in.</p><p>He looked at the light pouring in from the small gap between the door and the floor and tried to stay as close to it as possible. Having a light of some sort gave the teen a small bit of security, however minuscule it may have been. </p><p>It was a habit he had developed over the past few years. He always wanted to be in a room with some form of light or just <em>something</em> to brighten things up. </p><p>Truly, it was because John <em>hated</em> the dark.</p><p>He would almost say he was borderline afraid of it.</p><p>He hated how vulnerable it made him feel. He couldn't see sh*t in the shadows and it left him feeling open to so many unknowns. Places like this always reminded him of...that hellhole...</p><p>Being locked in pitch black after having your mind torn apart and mashed back together again would leave anyone feeling out of sorts in such a situation. It had been terrifying for a younger John to be stranded in the dark after having his worst experiences used against him. He felt stupid for being bothered by something as mundane as the dark. </p><p>But he was. </p><p>The week he had gotten home had been especially brutal as whenever he would wake up in the middle of the night, there was always that brief minute where he thought he was <em>there</em> again...where he thought he was back in that room with Keon ready to walk through the door and tear him down again. </p><p>Since then, he's always had issues sleeping alone in pitch black places. </p><p>When Sera or his dad would stay at his place on occasion, he would always either take the futon next to them or the couch. At least then he knew there was someone else there with him, someone who wouldn't hurt him. </p><p>When he was by himself, he always made sure his curtain was at least cracked open at night so the street light or the moon would peak through. </p><p>This time was no different. </p><p>Even though it was just a small sliver of light, he was still thankful it was there to begin with.</p><p>John brought his good leg up to his chest, resting his broken one against the floor. His adrenaline was finally starting to wear off and his tired body was begging him for some rest. </p><p>He was about to let his eyes drift shut when the lights cut off and the commanding voice of a man shouting 'lights off!' echoed throughout the hallway.</p><p>The teens pulse jumped in his neck as he was plunged into complete darkness, any faint idea of what the room looked like now gone. He couldn't help the shuddery gasp that escaped his throat as his eyes strained to view anything around him. </p><p>He moved back to rest himself against the corner by the door, bringing both of his legs up to his chest. He'd rather be by a secure corner than out in the middle of an unknown room. He tried to calm his heartbeat as he stared out into the silent void before him. </p><p>He could hear his pulse thud in his ears, he could hear something dripping on the floor from somewhere else in the room. He could even hear the footsteps of someone walking back and forth in the darkened hallway in an attempt to guard whatever else was there.</p><p>John clamped his eyes shut and covered his ears, trying to focus.</p><p>'Snap out of it John...! Pull yourself together! This is nothing! Just stay awake for now. You need to keep your guard up here.'</p><p>Forcing his eyes back open, John focused on nothing else but keeping an ear out for anything that may come his way. He couldn't let his guard down for a minute. </p><p>If he had to stay up all night, so be it. </p><p>He didn't care how much his leg throbbed or how his head was spinning. The teen kept his eyes open with a guarded stare as he watched the dark for anything that would attempt to challenge him.</p><p>As he sat there thinking, he could only start to wonder how he was going to get out of here, if he could that was. His abilities were useless for the time being so that was out of the question. Busting out with brute strength wouldn't work either. </p><p>He could try rushing a guard when they opened the door. He wasn't chained down or anything, so there was at least that.</p><p>But once he got past them, what then? He still had to get back out and from what he briefly saw, this place wasn't exactly easy to get in or out of. He needed a stealth ability: invisibility to be exact. He could maneuver around everyone at that point, maybe shadow someone on their way out.</p><p>John only sighed and rested his head on his knees, pushing the dumb idea away. </p><p>No, that wouldn't work either. He'd need so many things to go right and if one thing got f*cked up, it was either straight back in this cell or worse. Even then, he couldn't remember anything he saw while being dragged in here and he wouldn't have the time to constantly keep getting lost while searching for an exit.</p><p>Right now, the only thing he could do was sit and wait. For what? He didn't know. But they had to open that door at some point. </p><p>His thoughts eventually wandered back to Wellston, wondering what had happened to everyone there. He only saw the headmaster briefly before he was knocked unconscious. He didn't know the fate of the man and it worried him. </p><p>While John wasn't particularly close with any of the staff, he did have respect for Keene, Doc, and Vaughn. Out of all the adults he's met, besides his dad, they were the only three who seemed like they actually cared, and not just because they were forced to. </p><p>He respected the hell out of the three of them for putting up with not just his sh*t, but everyone else's.</p><p>His thoughts eventually trailed over to his dad. </p><p>Was he ok? Did he know what had happened? </p><p>Probably not as New Bostin was quite far from Wellston. He probably wouldn't see the news until tomorrow. The fire happened late in the day so they were probably going to do a head count over the next few days to make sure everyone was accounted for. </p><p>By that point, they would realize he was missing, though, he wasn't expecting anyone to notice just yet. Now that that Blyke wasn't rooming with the ravenette anymore, his disappearance wouldn't be noticed for awhile or until someone went looking for him. </p><p>Those b*stards had covered up a good chunk of the evidence by burning down the office. Obviously nothing could be cleared away 100%, but a lot of incriminating evidence on their part was probably destroyed by now. </p><p>Though now that John had a clearer mind, he remembered he had dropped his phone in the office somewhere during all the chaos. Maybe it had survived? </p><p>Probably not but there was always the possibility.</p><p>Regardless of what was found or not, John wasn't planning on waiting for help. He had to get out of here. Whatever these people were planning with him wasn't good and he wasn't going to find out. </p><p>As much as John wanted to be p*ssed with himself for getting captured to begin with and the bastards who had tied him up and tossed him in here, he needed to keep a level mind for now.</p><p>He didn't know what was waiting for him next.</p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Chapter 13: end.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0016"><h2>16. Truth</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>A/N: I've decided I will add chapter warnings if a chapter has a lot of themes that may be upsetting to some viewers throughout the whole chapter. Other than that, enjoy!</p>
<p>-KittCat.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p>
<p><b>*WARNING*: This chapter contains violence, and mental interrogation. Viewer discretion is advised please.</b> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Waking up to darkness had become terrifying for the ravenette over the past three days. He often couldn't remember where he was when waking up. He would have difficulties trying to process everything after his night terrors, which for some reason had increased. </p>
<p>Despite his lingering concussion which had lessened the past few days, he would quickly remember the situation he was so desperately trying to escape from.</p>
<p>He had already tried escaping twice, both attempts unsuccessful. </p>
<p>The first time they brought food to him, he managed to wack the guard over the head with the tray, stunning the man and allowing John to get 2 feet out the door...that was, until another guard grabbed him by the hair and held him in a neck lock, tossing the fuming teen back in.</p>
<p>The second time, he punched the guard but instead of the man toppling over, he only straightened back up and knocked the teen unconscious, John waking up 2 hours later with a bloody nose.</p>
<p>The third time they came around, the guards were having none of his sh*t, having grown tired of the ravenette's antics. They had resorted to finding the teen and pinning him down until the other guard set down the teens food for the night.</p>
<p>If they were tired of his antics, John felt the same about his current situation. He was absolutely done with being held in this tiny prison.  </p>
<p>He had gotten so bored that he had now memorized the small cinder block cell enough to navigate it when the lights were shut off. He found there to be a bed, a toilet and a cracked sink which often leaked.</p>
<p>He wanted nothing to do with the bed, resorting to just sleeping on the floor and using his blazer for warmth. He'd rather sleep there than on some half corroded mattress.</p>
<p>John had gotten into the habit of tracing mundane patterns on the wall, trying to make out what he was drawing in his head. It had become a small game for him to pass the time.</p>
<p>He was currently doing just that when he heard the lock along his cell click open. John had memorized when the guards visited; usually once in the morning and once in the evening. </p>
<p>This time however, they were early. The lights hadn't even been turned on yet.</p>
<p>John held his breath as he heard the door creak open and footsteps echo in the quiet room. He tried backing away, his pulse beating wildly in his ears. </p>
<p>John gasped as a hand constricted around his arm. "GET AWAY FROM ME!" Reeling his free arm back, he slammed his fist into the intruders face, a small crack following suit. The person cried out but kept his hold on the teen. "AGH! F*cking son of a b*tch!" John cried out as he was slammed onto the concrete.</p>
<p>The figure pinned him to the floor as something was forced over John's wrists. The familiar chill that ran up his arms only suggested it was cuffs.  </p>
<p>John stumbled as he was yanked down the hallway by his arms. His legs refused to keep up, his limbs constantly giving out from under him. The teen yelped when he was dragged into an almost empty room. His captors lugged him in and anchored him down to a chair, a lone, fluorescent light fixture hanging above him.</p>
<p>He watched as they tied him down to the chair, not being able to do much before they left the room, leaving him in complete silence.</p>
<p>John tried to mess with his bindings, attempting to loosen them, cut them, whatever he could. But unfortunately for him, there was no way of cracking these cuffs open with conventional standards.</p>
<p>He was in the middle of trying to pry open the locks at its seams when the door opened, a tall, lean figure hovering in the doorway. </p>
<p>As he walked in, John could feel his heart stop and sweat start collecting at the back of his neck.</p>
<p>The man's dull red hair was brushed away from his face and John already felt his ice blue eyes glaring down at him, trying to pierce into his psyche. </p>
<p>"YOU-!" His voice shook a little as he stared at the man, nothing but shock and a current of terror running though his face. </p>
<p>'Why is HE here?! Is he working with these people?!' Whatever the reason was, John couldn't think clearly. His mind could only focus on the fact that he -that <em>Keon</em> of all people- was here.</p>
<p>This was the man that had haunted him for years now, the man that had subjected him to his worst fears and torments. And now he was standing right in front of the teen once more.</p>
<p>John gulped for air, finding it difficult to breathe. He already found his hands shaking in their cuffs, causing the damned thing to rattle against the frame of his chair and reveal his hidden terror. </p>
<p>Keon walked closer to the visibly distressed teen, ignoring his trembling form as he stopped and hovered over him. The cop turned to the table next to the two of them before slapping down a manila folder on its surface and taking a seat across from him. He sighed as he flipped the folder open, looking over a few papers.</p>
<p>"So John, here we are again it seems." </p>
<p>The teen said nothing in return. John kept his gaze focused on the ground as Keon continued. "You really do baffle me boy. I thought you learned. I thought you really were doing better, that all our hard work had finally paid off with you. Yet somehow, you still defy all odds. You still undo all the progress we've made. Why?" Keon leaned forward as he stared at the teen who kept his gaze averted from the older man.</p>
<p>He narrowed his eyes before reaching forward and grabbing his shirt collar. "Look at me when I'm talking to you and answer the question." John tried to keep his gaze on the man but could only end up shutting his eyes as the adult's grip became more intense. He kept his mouth shut though, not wanting to answer the cop.</p>
<p>Keon only scoffed before letting him go, John shrinking in on himself. The man stood up and began pacing around the teen, reading through the papers in his hand. "I've been hearing a lot about what you've been doing John. Beating up the royals, putting people in the hospital, sending the school into chaos. You've really been keeping yourself busy."</p>
<p>John flinched slightly. "I-I don't know what you're talking about..." Keon stopped his pacing as he reached over to the folder and pulled out a photo.</p>
<p>"Really? Or does 'The Joker' just not ring any bells for you?" He held the laminated paper in front of his face. John's eyes went wide with shock as he saw himself, dawned in the all too familiar executioner's hood and the basic Wellston uniform; covered in blood. He was standing triumphantly over Arlo, as he stared at the people viewing from the windows.</p>
<p>He felt his blood run cold as he finally looked at the man. His voice came out strained, almost in a whisper. "W-Where did you get that...?" Keon deposited the photo back into its original location. "Don't change the subject John. Besides, that doesn't matter right now. What does however is what I'm going to do with you. But, that all depends on one thing;"</p>
<p>Keon walked over to him, his eyes glowing as the lamp cast an eerie shadow over him. John tugged at his restraints as the cop raised his hand up, knowing what was about to come. "how much you're willing to cooperate."</p>
<p>John couldn't help the cry that left his throat as the man grabbed his head, holding it firm in his grasp as the teens vision swam with memories.</p>
<p>..............................</p>
<p>
  <em>A young man with blonde hair and blue eyes stood across from the teen, eyebrows furrowed in anger and arms crossed.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>John could feel the words forming in his mouth as he glared daggers at him. "<b>I'm going to break the hierarchy.</b> How's that?"</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>The blonde only scoffed. "Please. Don't make me laugh! How could you </em>
  <b>
    <em>possibly</em>
  </b>
  <em> do that?"</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>The ravenette only sighed as he began to walk away, already beginning to come up with his plan. "Just enjoy your throne while you still can."</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>A magenta haired girl with extensions and chartreuse streaks crossed her arms, stretching them out to prepare for her run.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>The girl looked at John as they talked about recent events, namely how people around her were starting to fear the Joker. "What do you mean? He's ruthless and nobody's seen his face. I think they have a right to be afraid."</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>John only shrugged. "Ok, sure. But whatever Joker's done so far isn't anything new...not for us anyway. We've all been publicly beaten before. We've been sent to the infirmary countless times and we don't always know who our attackers are either."</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>He let a sigh escape his lips. "It sucks, but he's just been doing what everyone else has been doing all along."</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>The girl thought for a second. "I guess that's one way to look at it."</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>A pinkette hovered over John as he sat on his bed, irritated with this entire situation. He didn't want to talk but he would let her, knowing there was nothing she could do to convince him otherwise.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>The girl stood her ground, staring at the ravenette with determined amber eyes. "Why are you doing this? You </em>
  <b>
    <em>must</em>
  </b>
  <em> have a reason!"</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>John could only huff slightly. "It's about time people realize how </em>
  <b>
    <em>useless</em>
  </b>
  <em> you high-rankers are. None of you deserve to be put on a pedestal. You're all arrogant and entitled and you abuse your power."</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>The pinkette was taken aback slightly by his bluntness.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>The teen shifted slightly, trying to ignore the dull ache in his ribs from his most recent beating. "Everyone's better off without you."</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>John stood over the blonde teen, his head underneath his foot.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>The royals lay strewn about him in various states.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Two teens, one with red hair and the other orange with a black undercut, laid on the roof, unconscious. The pinkette from earlier lay face down, un-moving on the pavement.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>John could feel his body ache but he didn't care.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>For he had won. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>He took down all the royals in one clean sweep. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>In his mind, there could be no hierarchy if there was no one to lead it.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>And no one could take up the throne if it already belonged to someone with no name and no face.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>His work was finally done.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <b>
    <em>'No more royals, no more hierarchy!'</em>
  </b>
</p>
<p>...........................</p>
<p>John gasped as he was yanked back into reality, his head feeling like it was being torn in two. He hated the man's mind games and he hated how violated he felt.</p>
<p>Having your memories sorted through for the worst things that happened in your life was like living through a nightmare.</p>
<p>It was terrifying, it was cruel, and it was shameful. </p>
<p>The worst part was that Keon had no shame. </p>
<p>He didn't care what private memories he stumbled across or what heartfelt moments one had with another person. To him, it was all free game. As long as he got what he wanted, he didn't care about the means or the methods to get it.</p>
<p>With Keon, he had free range of every memory John could remember. Keon could read John like a book, no matter how hard the teen tried to shut himself closed.</p>
<p>Despite how much he tries to fight, Keon always wins.</p>
<p>John glared up at the man, but his hate for the cop soon turned into mild fear as the man towered over him, glaring him down in turn with a look that screamed 'murder.'</p>
<p>All at once, John's head reeled to the side as he felt a stinging pain flare up across his face. It was followed by an even harder force colliding with his jaw from the other side. He tried spitting out the blood that had begun collecting in his mouth but was soon left hacking and gasping for air as a fist collided with his ribs.</p>
<p>The last punch sent John falling over on the floor, dazed and in pain. He coughed up blood, its foul taste coating his mouth as he peered at the seething man above him.</p>
<p>Despite his voice remaining low and controlled, the cop was shaking with rage. "You are even more idiotic than I ever could've imagined you to be. You think you're above the rules of society because you have power? Well let me tell you this; while Vaughn may have given you a free pass to do as you please, you have <b>no</b> power here. You are still the same weak, pathetic child who came in here all those years ago. <em>You are still nothing.</em>"</p>
<p>John had <em>never</em> seen him this p*ssed before and to be honest, it scared him a bit. Keon yanked him back up. "Now, I'm going to ask you some questions John. And you <em><b>will</b></em> answer them."</p>
<p>He didn't know what was coming next but he could only tell that the man was just getting started.</p>
<p>.</p>
<p>.</p>
<p>.</p>
<p>John cried out as another punch was landed to his stomach, causing him to gag for air. "S-STOP! I a-already t-told you: I don't k-know what her connection to them is!" Keon huffed in frustration as he kicked John's chair over, the teen yelping as he landed on his side.</p>
<p>For John, everything <em>hurt</em>.</p>
<p>John was pretty sure a couple of his ribs were broken (if they weren't to begin with) and it hurt to move his jaw. He kept his right eye closed as it physically hurt to blink and he could feel that his wrists had been scratched raw.</p>
<p>He just wanted to curl into a ball and just vanish, to just wake up back in his room and know that it was all just one awful nightmare.</p>
<p>He just wanted to wake up and be tucked safely in his bed instead of laying on his side, injured and tied down to a chair as he was interrogated.</p>
<p>If only it were a dream...</p>
<p>John couldn't stop the pained groan that escaped his lips as Keon grabbed his shirt collar and once again, yanked him back up, chair and all. The teens vision was going double as he continued to wheeze and cough up blood.</p>
<p>He was tired...everything hurt...he just wanted to let his eyes close and drift away into a numbing bliss.</p>
<p>He was about to do so when he heard the door to the room open, snapping his limited attention over to the same woman from the van.</p>
<p>Keon looked over as well, his face neutral. "What do you want, Marcella?" The woman in question smiled as she walked over. "I came to see how your progress with our little friend has been going. Seems like you've already got some answers."</p>
<p>Keon rubbed his knuckles, his own hands slightly bruised. "You could say, I found out that he hasn't changed a bit. He's still the same messed up brat from all those years ago. We really have our work cut out for us."</p>
<p>This only earned a chuckle from the woman. "All the more reason we have to get this done. Imagine what could happen if we got him to <em>willingly</em> cooperate."</p>
<p>John snapped his gaze up slightly.</p>
<p>
  <b>
    <em>He knew it...</em>
  </b>
</p>
<p>He knew they just wanted to use him for something and whatever it was, he wanted no part in it. The teen found his mouth moving before his brain could tell him otherwise. "N-No."</p>
<p>Both adults turned their attention to the teen who was still tied down. Marcella crossed her arms slightly, her sh*t-eating grin still on her face. "Pardon me?" </p>
<p>John coughed slightly before looking her straight in her crimson eyes. "B*tch...I said...no. I refuse to help you people..." Marcella walked over, her heels clicking against the cement floor. "I don't think you heard me correctly, child. Whether you like it or not, you're going to help us."</p>
<p>John only looked back up. "I. Won't..." The teen coughed again before continuing. "If you think I'm going to help the likes of you bastards; then think again...whatever it is you want from me, find someone else to help you because I sure as hell won't...!"</p>
<p>Marcella's smirk faded as she grabbed his collar. "Listen here you little sh*t, if you don't comply, I'll-"</p>
<p>"YOU'LL WHAT?! Beat me up again?! Knock me out?! GO AHEAD! I've been getting punched and tossed around by that son of a b*tch for almost half an hour now!" John tilted his head towards Keon before looking back at her. </p>
<p>"I've taken WORSE than this for most of my f*cking life! You can punch me, slap me, throw me into the walls, I. DON'T. CARE! You can do whatever the f*ck you want to me, but I will never, <b>EVER</b> help you people!"</p>
<p>John huffed as he watched the two adults stare him down. Marcella smirked before letting go of his collar, brushing back her obnoxiously orange locks. "We'll see about that." John felt an elbow strike the side of his neck as everything went dark for him.</p>
<p>The last thing he could see was Keon and Marcella walking out of the room, the sound of the women's heels echoing in his ears as he gave in and shut his eyes.    </p>
<p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Chapter 14: end.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0017"><h2>17. Panic</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Coming back to Wellston Private High School was a surreal experience for the students. </p><p>Freshman and sophomores alike looked at the school with wide eyes, impressed at how quickly their fire-torn school had been repaired.</p><p>Juniors and Seniors looked at the school in either annoyance or relief. Some just wanted to avoid classes until winter break or just not come back at all. Others were glad to be returning to the proud high school.</p><p>Walking on to the school grounds, Seraphina felt like something was missing.</p><p>She knew exactly what it was, and she felt nothing but lost over it.</p><p>What was she going to do?</p><p>Despite the fact that they weren't on talking terms, she still cared about the ravenette and to hear that he had disappeared without a trace was frightening for her to say the least. </p><p>She expected herself to be more angered with him when this all began, but the more she unraveled about John's murky past, the more she began to understand John and his actions.</p><p>He wasn't right for what he was doing by any standards, but the more she saw, the more she felt herself relating to John.</p><p>The resentment towards the system around them, the deep hatred for being targeted because you couldn't or wouldn't fight back, wanting to hurt the same people who had done nothing but degrade and humiliate you over and over again.</p><p>Now that she had lived on both sides of the street, she now understood why the teen walked such a fine line.</p><p>He didn't belong as a cripple because his powers forbid him from being seen as anything but a deity. But he didn't belong as a high tier because he was neither raised with that mindset nor had his abilities until much later in life. </p><p>Being a late bloomer reduced him down to a simple outcast, one who resented those who wouldn't fight back and hated those who had once stood over him.</p><p>Seraphina knew they had to talk again but now with him gone...would she ever get that chance? Would she ever get that chance to set things right? To show John that he could still trust others? </p><p>She didn't know...</p><p>And the thought left her chilled to the bone.</p><p>She was snapped back into reality when she heard someone call her name. Turning her head, she saw a certain pinkette barrel through the hall towards her, her bag waving back and forth and almost hitting a student over the head. "Seraphina! I need you to come with me!"</p><p>The girl was about to respond when the queen just grabbed her arm and yanked her along. 'Looks like I don't really have a choice then...'</p><p>Remi maneuvered them throughout the crowded hallways before running up the stairs towards the roof. The girl threw open the door to the rooftop, fluffy grey skies meeting them. That and the brisk air weren't the only ones to meet the two though.</p><p>Standing by the fence, a familiar set of ex-royals stood there; namely all the high tiers and Isen. Arlo looked up as he saw the two walk in.</p><p>"Good job finding her Remi." The queen nodded as Seraphina looked at the group before her.</p><p>She narrowed her blue irises as she looked at the ex-king. "Arlo, what's going on here?"</p><p>The blonde crossed his arms. "I should be asking you the same thing." The magenta haired girl raised an eyebrow before he spoke up. "What have Isen and Blyke been hiding from us?"</p><p>Remi nodded. "Yeah. Cecile thought she heard Blyke and Isen talking about a student going missing. We thought it might just be a joke or something? We wanted to ask you though since those two wouldn't tell us anything. They only said that Keene, Doc, and you were the only other ones who knew about the situation."</p><p>The girl felt her eyes go wide before crossing her arms. </p><p>Sera only turned her head to look at the crackhead duo standing to her left. Isen scratched his head before sighing. "Sorry Seraphina...Cecile overheard us when we were back at the boys dorm and threatened to put it in the paper unless we spilled. We didn't want things to get chaotic especially since...you know." Blyke nodded in agreement, avoiding her gaze.</p><p>The girl only sighed as she looked at Remi, Arlo and Cecile, all waiting for an answer. She didn't really have a choice in the matter right now and who's to say they wouldn't find out from Keene eventually? </p><p>"Fine. But you have to keep your mouths shut. No gossip, no school press release, <em>nothing</em>. Keene made us <b><em>all</em></b> swear not to say anything since they haven't launched an official investigation yet." She gave the two boys a dirty look before looking back, the three nodding before she continued.</p><p>Sera looked down, her thoughts racing in her mind. "They...they don't know where he is. They looked around for his phone but even that wasn't there. They're doing their best to look for him but right now, they don't have the faintest idea where he could be. I tried calling him but-"</p><p>The three looked at Seraphina in bewilderment before Remi placed a hand on the girls shoulder. "Seraphina, slow down. What happened exactly? Who's missing?"</p><p>The girl took a deep breath before nodding, explaining what had happened that morning.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>As she finished, Seraphina looked up at the group before her.</p><p>Cecile's eyes were wide with shock. "You guys didn't find him?! You mean to say he's actually missing?! No one knows where he is?!" </p><p>Arlo ran his hands over his face, sitting down. "I can't believe this...I thought he had just up and left or something. I didn't think he might <em>actually</em> be in trouble."</p><p>Remi had her hands over her mouth, completely silent with shock.</p><p>Isen sat on the ground. "We searched the entire campus and there was no trace or sign of him. We searched for hours both on and off the grounds and no one has seen him since Monday morning..."</p><p>Cecile snapped her head over. "Wait, since <em>Monday</em>?" The teen nodded. Arlo stood up and huffed, threading his fingers through the wire fence. "Great...so he's been missing for over a week now."</p><p>Seraphina only looked away, knowing this didn't bode well for John. </p><p>Remi looked at the group around her. "Guys...what are we going to do?" </p><p>Arlo looked over. "'We?' Remi, there is no 'we' in this. We are not doing anything." Everyone looked at him. Remi stared at him with wide eyes. "Arlo...you can't just expect us to sit here and do nothing-"</p><p>The blonde turned to face her. "And what do you expect us to do Remi? You want us to go out and look for John ourselves?"</p><p>The pinkette shook her head. "No, but I don't think we should just sit around and do nothing. Even though John has been less than hospitable towards us, we can't just leave him out there."</p><p>Isen stood up. "So you want us to go looking for him?! Remi... He attacked us! He dethroned everyone and sent several people to the hospital! Why should we, people that he <em>hates</em> with every fiber of his being, go looking for him when there are more qualified people to deal with this?!" </p><p>Cecile walked over and poked the orange haired male in the chest. "Have you forgotten that John is currently king?! What will the other students think if they find out that he's missing?! They're going to go into complete chaos and start tearing the school apart!" </p><p>The teen stepped back. "I don't care if he's King or not! I have no obligation to go looking for the guy who wants me dead!" Blyke stood up and moved between them. "Hey, calm down. Let's just talk about this rationally-" The teal haired girl whipped around to face him. "Stay out of this  *sshole!"</p><p>Remi stepped towards them, wanting to deescalate the situation. "Guys, please stop! We can't be fighting each other right now! We have more important things to focus on!"</p><p>Arlo only scoffed. "Like what? I'm sorry Remi, but I want no part in looking for him."</p><p>The pinkette stormed over to him. "You can't possibly be turning your back on us right now! What about keeping order?!" Arlo ran a hand through his hair. "I'm not Remi! But this has nothing to do with order! This is real life! Why should we get ourselves involved?! Every time we get ourselves involved in something that is wildly out of our control, someone gets hurt!"</p><p>Remi placed her hands on her hips. "So we should just let John die?!" Arlo's eyes went wide before Remi continued. "Whoever has John could easy kill him Arlo!"</p><p>Arlo threw his hands up. "That's if he's not already dead Remi!" </p><p>Remi went silent as she glared at Arlo, a spark of anger igniting within her. "Well, I'm not going to wait to find out. If he's gone, he's gone. But I'm at least going to <b>try</b> to find him however I can. I'm done with waiting to take action Arlo, and I'm DONE with waiting for others to take action too."</p><p>The blonde grabbed her shoulders, his eyes set in a harsh but concerned glare. "Remi, every time you've gotten yourself involved with others business, you or someone else have almost gotten killed! Don't do something stupid. You don't owe John anything!"</p><p>She only brushed his hands off, stepping back slightly. "I know I don't. But I already wasn't aware of everything going on at the school! I already wasn't aware of how much the low tiers have been suffering in this system! I already wasn't aware of how much trouble Rei was in! But no more! I'm done with being blind Arlo! And I'm not just going to turn a blind eye to a student who needs OUR help! So whether you like it or not Arlo, I <em>AM</em> MAKING IT MY BUSINESS!" </p><p>Cecile crossed her arms, slightly impressed with the pinkette's determination. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but for once, I agree with Remi." Isen looked between them. "You guys can't be serious...! Whoever has John could easily kill us if we go looking for him!" Blyke crossed his arms. He agreed with Remi, but they all knew of the consequences and it just wasn't worth it. "I...I have to agree with Isen on this one Remi."</p><p>Remi looked at him, betrayal evident in her eyes. "You can't be serious Blyke!"</p><p>The redhead sighed. "Look Remi, I'm with you on this. Granted, John's an *sshole and I could care less about him, but I don't want him dead. However, we can't do anything Remi. As much as I want to help you, this is out of our hands. We just-we can't do this. We all may be high tiers, but we're still just kids!"</p><p>The pinkette waved her arms about. "Just because we're kids doesn't mean we're helpless! We still have the ability to change things!"</p><p>Seraphina could only watch as everything dissolved into chaos. Everyone argued with one another, debating on whether or not to find John or let the authorities handle this. Insults were thrown, people were jabbed at.</p><p>Cecile and Isen were getting heated, Cecile saying how if Isen actually had a backbone, he would man up and do something for once in his life. </p><p>The orange haired teen crossed his arms, claiming that at least he wasn't trying to make things worse by putting more false sh*t in the newspaper for a couple of reads. </p><p>Remi began breaking down into tears when Arlo brought up Rei and how he wouldn't want her to do this. "Do you honestly think Rei would want you going out there, doing such stupid and foolish things and putting yourself at risk?! Especially after what happened to him?!"</p><p>Remi quipped back, tears streaming down her face. "Well maybe if you ACTUALLY knew him instead of only caring about his stupid title as king, you would know he would want the both of us to help someone in danger! But you wouldn't know that, now would you?! Because you only cared about him because of his status!"</p><p>Arlo had gone paler than a ghost, obviously hurt by that comment. "How could you say something like that Remi...?! You know better than anyone else that I cared about him just as much as you did!" Remi only gave a dry chuckle. "Oh yeah?! Cause you sure had a funny way of showing it!"</p><p>Seraphina stood there, staring at all of them. They all had to stop this and focus. Whether they all wanted to abandon John or help him, they were all forgetting one important fact. </p><p>She looked at them as she clenched her hands into fists. "<em>ALL OF YOU, ENOUGH!</em>" Everyone went silent, remembering just how much power the ex-ace could still muster. </p><p>They watched as she walked forward, sky blue eyes glaring them all down. </p><p>"All of you need to stop fighting! This isn't going to help fix anything right now!" She looked at everyone as she continued.</p><p>"Look, I don't care if you want to help find John or not. You're right, you have no obligation to help someone whose caused you so much harm. But all of you are forgetting one crucial fact: John was the strongest student here. If he managed to get taken by whoever has him right under Keene's nose, who's to say that one of us won't be next?"</p><p>The entire group felt their blood run cold. </p><p>She was right. If John couldn't fight them off, who's to say their luck would be any better? What if they showed up again? The rest of them would have no chance against these mysterious figures.</p><p>Seraphina sighed. "We have to find out who took John. Not just for him, but for everyone at the school. Now that we know all of this, we have a responsibility to keep those below us safe. Right now, Wellston isn't safe anymore. <em>None</em> <em>of us</em> <em>are safe anymore</em>. Not as long as those people are still at large."    </p><p>The group only nodded. Isen was the first to speak up. "Seraphina? If Vaughn really is connected with EMBER, do you think John's disappearance could be connected to them?" The girl only looked down. "I don't know Isen. It's a possibility, but we should keep our eyes open."</p><p>The group jumped when the PA came on, calling them all down to the front entrance.</p><p>Everyone looked at one another in bewilderment. Why were they needed at the front entrance? School hadn't even started yet. </p><p>Sera wanted to hope that maybe they uncovered something about John. But she knew that if that were the case, they would've just called her, Blyke and Isen down.</p><p>Looking to one another, they all started to make their way down the winding stairs, deciding to at least see what was going on.</p><p>Remi trailed in the back with Arlo, looking at the floor. She peaked up slightly at the blonde, guilt weighing her down. She sighed as she looked forward. "I'm sorry for what I said Arlo...I know you cared about Rei and he did too..."</p><p>The blonde stuffed his hands in his pockets. "It's fine Remi..." The girl only shook her head. "No, it's not. Ever since Rei passed, you've been there for me. It just hurts...it hurts because he would always ask about you, even wanting to visit you. But you would never get back to him and we both understood why. You were living your own life and trying to get things in a somewhat manageable state after he left. He didn't want to bother from something that was obviously important to you."</p><p>Arlo looked down. </p><p>He remembered how Rei would always call him, wanting to stop by the school to see him and Remi but Arlo would always tell him no. While Remi may have thought it was because he was busy, Arlo knew the real reason why.</p><p>He couldn't bare to see the disappointment on Rei's face when he found out he let the green haired man down, that he had completely overturned everything Rei had worked so hard to accomplish in his time as king. </p><p>He feared what would happen if Remi's brother found out. </p><p>Would he be mad? Would he cut all ties with the blonde? Arlo would never admit it, but he was scared of facing Rei. He was scared of facing the man and losing the support of his mentor, of his <em>friend</em>.</p><p>Maybe that's why Arlo hid from him; why he tried to distance himself from the man. Now though, he wished he hadn't.</p><p>Arlo realized he didn't care if the lively and joyful man walked away and refused to see him ever again. He didn't care if Rei yelled at him until he turned blue in the face.</p><p>Arlo would give <em>anything</em> if it meant he could see Rei again.</p><p>But he knew that it was impossible. Even if he were to bargain with death itself, he knew he wouldn't see the man anytime soon in this life. And it would forever be one of Arlo's biggest regrets.</p><p>"Arlo? What's wrong?" The blonde felt something start to gather at the corner of his eye. He went rigid as he rubbed his eyes. "Nothing Remi, I'm fine. Just didn't get a lot of sleep last night. That's all."</p><p>The girl raised an eyebrow but nodded, deciding to let the conversation drop.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>The group walked forward to where Keene and a few other teachers were standing. Beside them, three members of the authorities stood there. Seraphina felt her blood run cold when she saw the three people standing there. </p><p>The first was a woman with mint green hair and gold eyes, standing formally in her pencil skirt and heels; Miss. Nadia. </p><p>The second, she had no idea who he was but he had short, fluffy blue hair and scarlet eyes. He was quite pale but his posture screamed power.</p><p>The third is who Seraphina dreaded seeing the most. His brick red hair was combed back and steel blue irises scanned the group before him. He was dawned in a all too familiar trench coat as he stood next to the other two adults.</p><p>Keene looked over to the students who had just arrived, all as equally confused as Seraphina, but lacking her shock.</p><p>"Ah, thank you kids for coming here. This is Mr. Keon, Mr. Zander and Miss. Nadia. They're here on behalf of the authorities to ask you some questions about what happened on Monday."</p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Chapter 15: end.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0018"><h2>18. Reality</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>A/N: ...I may or may not have teared up while writing this chapter. This was one of the most difficult ones for me to write so far. Even if it gets emotional, I hope you'll still enjoy!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Keene paced back and forth in the infirmary as Darren nervously bounced his foot under his desk. </p><p>They had left the authorities to talk to the kids after being asked to speak to them privately. Keene felt uneasy about leaving the kids there unsupervised, but he trusted the three adults to behave themselves.</p><p>But right now, he had other things to worry about, terrified of how they could possibly handle this.</p><p>Currently, him, Darren and a few other teachers were in the room, but even they weren't fairing much better.</p><p>Though, how were they supposed to feel right now?</p><p>A student was <em>missing</em> for crying out loud! </p><p>He's been missing for over a week now and they had only just found out about it. Things were falling further and further apart by the minute.</p><p>John had disappeared, the school caught on fire, and the headmaster was currently in the hospital in a temporary coma. Everyone was frazzled and had no idea what to do.</p><p>Keene had already called the authorities to put out a missing persons report. They would be by later on in the week to question people and start an official investigation. </p><p>Doc called the other teachers in to let them know about the situation before him and Keene called John's dad. </p><p>They didn't want to break the news to him over the phone so they asked him to come here. Supposedly he would be arriving today.</p><p>Only one thought was on all the teachers minds as they either sat or paced; How would they tell him?</p><p>While Doc and Keene weren't parents, a few of the teachers in the room were. They couldn't even begin to comprehend how they would react to being told their child was missing only a week after a major accident. It was terrifying just thinking about the possibility. But to actually see this occurring in front of their own eyes...?</p><p>All the teachers could do for now was try to keep their students calm. Word had already started floating around that Wellston's king, their rank 1 student, was missing, having noticed the ravenette's prolonged absence.</p><p>Some passed it off as a joke, others only briefly talked about it. A few even said it was just odd timing, that they shouldn't become so paranoid.</p><p>But for the staff and the ex-royals, they knew all too well just how dangerous this situation had become and feared what would happen to John.</p><p>They knew that John didn't just wander off and get lost. He's been missing ever since the accident. They ALL knew that with everything that's been occurring over the past few months, both in the school and out, John's disappearance was anything <em><b>but</b></em> a coincidence. </p><p>They don't know what Vaughn could have possibly done to the teen if he was the one involved, but it wasn't anything good. </p><p>The main question was; where could John have been taken to? He could be halfway across the country by now and they would have no idea.</p><p>They needed clues and fast. They needed to talk to Vaughn but the man was comatose until he was fully healed. So with him out of the way, who and where would they look to for answers?</p><p>For now though, it would be a question that would remain unanswered.</p><p>Keene ceased his pacing and all the teachers visibly tensed as the man uttered the words they've all been dreading. "He's here...I'll be right back."</p><p>With that, the man left, leaving the remaining adults to figure out who would break the news to the unsuspecting man.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>Keene walked out into the bleak weather. A few raindrops had started to fall out of the thick, grey clouds but nothing too severe. Surprisingly enough, the snow had held off for the next week.</p><p>If only the same could be said about this situation.</p><p>The groundskeeper walked forward to meet the raven-haired man who stood bundled up in his rain jacket at the bottom of the steps, tired and confused.</p><p>He had just gotten off of a 3 hour flight and was still very much feeling the jet-lag. He didn't know what was so urgent that he had to fly over for it, but he could only assume it had something to do with his son.</p><p>He was hoping it wasn't anything bad or at least, nothing like last time.</p><p>Already, Keene could see the similarities between him and John and knew without a shadow of a doubt that this was William H. Doe. Regardless, Keene took a deep breath before asking. "Are you Mr. Doe?"</p><p>The man looked over and nodded. "Yes, but please, call me William." Keene nodded before William met him at the top of the stairs. "Is everything alright? You seem troubled." Keene looked down slightly. "I need you to come with me."</p><p>The man slowly nodded before following the groundskeeper inside and through the halls. They passed by classrooms, the faint mumbling of teachers making its way to their ears. </p><p>With the school mostly repaired, students were now back in their classrooms, much to their dismay.</p><p>Classes were currently going on so students weren't out and about thankfully. But this only left Keene in a deafening silence as the man walked behind him. He could practically hear his pulse echo in his ears as he guided the man to the infirmary. He saw William freeze upon reading the sign.</p><p>"Wait...why are we-?" Keene shook his head. "We needed to talk to you in private but currently, the office is under repairs for the time being." William only raised an eyebrow in confusion, but walked in as the man held the door open. </p><p>Upon walking inside, he saw 3 teachers as well as a 4th man sitting at the main desk. Said man looked up at him, his eyes serious and concerned.</p><p>As Keene walked in and shut the door, William looked around at the party before him. "What's going on here?" </p><p>Already, he felt on edge. Something wasn't right. Something was very off, especially with how the other teachers looked at him.</p><p>Keene walked around to the school nurses desk as he placed his hand on the edge of the wooden surface. "William, we have something to tell you. It's regarding your son."</p><p>Darren stood up and grabbed a chair for him as Keene talked. </p><p>William said nothing but took a seat and listened intently to the man. He had a feeling that this would be the case. "What about John? Did something happen? ...Did he do something?" Darren bit his lip before looking to Keene as the man fixed his glasses along the bridge of his nose. "Mr. Doe, earlier this weekend, we were informed that John hasn't been seen on campus, for about a week now."</p><p>William raised an eyebrow. "Is he sick or something?" Darren shook his head as he looked at the man, a sigh escaping his lips. He looked to Keene who could only shake his head, signalling to the nurse that he couldn't do it. </p><p>Darren looked at William, bracing himself for what was about to come. "Mr. Doe...I don't know how to tell you this any other way...but John's missing. He's been missing since the accident we had here not too long ago. We asked students, John's roommate, and the rest of the staff here at Wellston."</p><p>William felt all the color drain from his face. </p><p>"<em>Nobody knows where he is.</em>"<br/><br/><br/><br/></p><p>To any parent, being told about their child missing classes should just be a minor annoyance, an act of teenage rebellion. One would expect the statement to be followed up with 'your child has been skipping school. We need you to talk to them.' </p><p>No parent would ever expect the following words to be that their child is missing, that their own flesh and blood, who left for school to better their life, had now disappeared into thin air and that no one knew where they were.</p><p>For William, he never saw this coming.</p><p>Yet it was now the reality he faced.</p><p>The man only shook his head, not believing what he just heard. "No...no, that can't be right. He's...he's probably just out sick, right?" He looked at the other teachers, thinking that this was all just some sort of strange joke. But the looks on their faces only said otherwise. William looked back over at the school nurse. "This-...it's just one big joke right?"</p><p>William slowly stood up from his chair as everyone in the room remained silent. He slowly felt dread creeping into his chest as he looked back and forth at everyone. There was no one laughing or cracking a smile. There were just tired, downcast expressions.</p><p>That dread bloomed into terror when he saw Keene walk over and place a hand on the mans shoulder, the groundskeepers face tired and saddened.</p><p>Out of everyone in the room, Keene felt the most guilty.</p><p>He cared about these kids. He was supposed to keep the students safe no matter how much trouble they were. He was supposed to keep them out of danger and he had failed.</p><p>Now he was having to tell a man that they had lost his son when they were the ones who were supposed to keep the teen safe. </p><p>If he couldn't protect their strongest student, how was anyone supposed to trust him with the other teens in the school?</p><p>"William...we're sorry...but this is real. John's missing. We're doing everything we can to find him, but we don't know what happened to him or where he is."</p><p>William only shook his head as he backed away, running a hand through his gelled hair. His pulse felt like ice right now.</p><p>It felt like the world around the infamous W. H. Doe was slowly crumbling apart. Some part deep within his mind held onto the small shred of hope that this was some sort of elaborate prank. But in his heart, he knew they were telling the truth. </p><p>He just didn't want to believe it.</p><p>"This...this has to be a prank...someone tell me that this is a joke." Darren placed a hand on the man's shoulder, already seeing the signs of panic manifesting itself. </p><p>William only shrugged it off as he moved away from everyone slightly, his eyes wide. "Please...! Someone tell me that this is a joke! Someone look me in the eyes and tell me that my son is here!" The man practically pleaded with everyone in the room, wanting this all to be some sort of fever dream.</p><p>No one knew what to do. One of the teachers was in tears, watching a fellow parent break down like this. It was gut wrenching to watch this man slowly crack into a thousand pieces at the prospect of his child being gone.</p><p>William on the other hand had completely fallen apart now. He was scared-no-<em>terrified</em> of what could've happened to his son. The thought that John could possibly be dead for all he knew sent the man spiraling.</p><p>"Just-Just someone tell me...!"</p><p>Darren walked over and grabbed the man by his shoulders to calm him down, but William only made a half attempt to break away, struggling against the grip of the school nurse.</p><p>"<em>SOMEONE TELL ME WHERE HE IS!</em>"</p><p>The man looked around at everyone again, the room going completely silent save for his ragged breathing. </p><p>Everyone was in tears or staring solemnly at the floor, only supporting the fact that what Darren had said was true.</p><p>William sank to his knees, tears beginning to spill over. </p><p>"Please! Where is my son...?!" The school nurse knelt down next to him, making an attempt to comfort him. A few of the other teachers did the same, trying to calm the heartbroken man as he let his tears fall, covering his face.</p><p>But for William, there was no comfort.</p><p>There was nothing that could calm him.</p><p>There was nothing that could sooth him from the fact that his son, his <em>only</em> child and his last bit of family left, was missing; gone. </p><p>That John was out there somewhere, most likely in danger and possibly in the hands of someone wanting to hurt or kill him, if he wasn't dead already.</p><p>He knew John could protect himself, but even then, he was nowhere close to being invincible. All the current vigilantes dying only established that point.</p><p>William couldn't help but feel like he failed as a husband and as a father. </p><p>He was supposed to protect them, yet he still failed. </p><p>He couldn't save the people he loved the most.</p><p>He couldn't protect his wife and now, he couldn't protect his son.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>Darren shut the door to the infirmary, leaning back against it. William was a wreck, though in fairness, they all were. This situation was the last thing anyone needed. </p><p>While Keene had to temporarily step in as headmaster, Darren had been in charge of keeping the student body together.</p><p>He knew the royals would begin to panic once they found out, their past experiences making them only assume that the worst had happened. Half the students didn't care, glad that John wasn't hovering over them like an omen of death. The other half was concerned, knowing that the absence of their king of all people was no laughing matter.</p><p>This school was a mess. Students were still getting beat up and now that Vaughn was temporarily out of the picture, the authorities would most likely have control over the place pretty soon.</p><p>Right now, there was nothing they could do. They needed the authorities' help right now and they needed it desperately.</p><p>Darren looked up at the ceiling, hoping for their questions to be answered soon. As much as he hated the damn ravenette causing him so many issues and hurting so many people, he didn't want the teen dead in a gutter somewhere. </p><p>The man shut his eyes. "Kid, wherever you are out there, please be safe...your dad needs you."</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <em>"N̵̗̍̄o̵͍̻̊̈́ ̶̥̽̃ȍ̶̥͠n̶͔̹͗ę̶͕̾ ̸͖̋i̶̡̲͊s̶͉̈͘ ̶̠̞͒̈́s̸̜̗̆a̷̲̥͋͆f̵̩̈́͑ͅe̴̛̜̅.̸̛̗͈̑"</em>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Darren physically jumped when he heard that voice. He looked around, trying to spot the culprit of the voice, but found no one. 'Must be my mind playing tricks on me...' He shook his head out before walking to the break room to grab another cup of coffee.</p><p>Unbeknownst to him, a set of scarlet eyes watched his form retreat down the hallway, a cruel smirk lining their tanned face and orange hair tucked safely behind their ear.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p><em>"Ť̵̰h̵̜̐̒i̵̲̻̋͂ŝ̸͈ ̷͔̗̀ȋ̶̡s̴̹̈́ ̷͎̾ő̴̪n̵̨̯͛l̶̬͓̉y̴̭̹͆ ̵̭t̷͙̯̑h̷͓̗̚e̵̥̿̌ ̷͕ḃ̴̜̐ẹ̶̲̋̾g̸̮̟̚i̷̩͝n̵̺̊̃n̵̪̈́͛i̵̛̭̔n̸̦̦̈́͒g̴̣̭͝.̸͍̚"</em> </p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Chapter 16: end.</p><p>A/N: ;-; the feels were strong with this chapter...</p><p>-KittCat.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0019"><h2>19. Suspicions</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The group of teens sat before the authorities in the empty classroom, all highly confused and all borderline worried.</p><p>Currently, they were in the abandoned room due to the office still being under repairs. Though right now, they wished they were in the office with how eerie this felt. </p><p>It was currently down pouring, the weather having gotten worse. Remi jumped when the sky lit up with lightning, a loud *bang* following suit. She gulped before turning back towards the front of the room.</p><p>They eyed the adults who stood at the board, all dawning expressions of blank indifference. Miss. Nadia walked forward, looking at the group. "Thank you all for coming with us. We will be asking you some questions about what occurred last week on Monday. Because this is an official investigation, you are all expected to answer our questions truthfully. Any false answers will have you suspended or expelled from Wellston Private High School. Do you all understand?"</p><p>The group of teens nodded, replying in unison. "Yes Miss. Nadia."</p><p>The woman nodded, her eyes sparking to life as she looked to Keon. "Then let us begin."</p><p>Keon walked forward, hands hidden in his pockets. "We'll start off with individual questions. Arlo?"</p><p>The blonde looked up and nodded in acknowledgement. "Yes sir?" </p><p>This wasn't his first experience with the authorities so Arlo felt calm about the situation. Everyone else however felt less than secure.</p><p>Keon walked forward, steel blue meeting ocean eyes as the man loomed over him. "We were told by your aunt that you helped her search through the crime scene originally. Can you tell us what you found?"</p><p>Arlo raised an eyebrow. Was he even allowed to give out this information?</p><p>The cop must've sensed his worry, replying back. "And yes, she gave us permission to ask these questions so don't worry about confidentiality."</p><p>The blonde relaxed slightly, nodding before giving his answer. "When we searched the scene, almost everything was burnt to a crisp. We couldn't find much but I did uncover a document-"</p><p>Keon whipped his head over. "What document? And what was on it?"</p><p>Arlo looked at the man before continuing. "...it was a document addressed to Vaughn: a search and seizure warrant. It was too burnt to make out the reasons why but that was the only page the survived."</p><p>Keon nodded. "Was there anything else you uncovered?"</p><p>The blonde shook his head. "No. My aunt and the rest of her team uncovered the other bits of evidence but I wasn't present for that."</p><p>Keon looked to Nadia who nodded back. A sign that all was clear.</p><p>"Thank you Arlo. One last question; Mr. Keene had told us that you and Blyke here were the ones to help him pull headmaster Vaughn out of the flames. Is that correct?" </p><p>The teen nodded. "Yes, we were."</p><p>"Can you give a recollection of the event please?"</p><p>Arlo nodded, taking a small breath before starting as he searched through his mind for what happened that day.</p><p>"I had just stopped by Keene's office to drop off some papers. That's where I met Blyke. After chatting for a bit, we smelled something very off, like it was charring, burning even. We went to investigate when Keene found us, trying to warn everyone about the fire. Blyke and I were the ones who pulled the alarms and we were about to leave when we heard a scream."</p><p>The cop raised an eyebrow. "A scream?"</p><p>The teen nodded as Keon stared at him. "Are you sure you heard this person screaming?"</p><p>Arlo nodded, shuddering a little at the memory. "Yes, clear as day...it was...frightening to say the least. Hearing someone in that much pain...I didn't want to leave whoever it was in there. So the three of us went in and found the headmaster in the hallway outside of his office. We pulled him out and fled to the front gates where the others were." </p><p>The cop stared at him slightly. "Was he directly outside of his office or just in the hallway?"</p><p>Arlo shook his head. "Neither. He was close to his office but he wasn't right outside of it. Besides, the hallway was mostly blocked off by debris."</p><p>Keon nodded before looking to Blyke. "What about you? Is what Arlo saying true for both of you?" The redhead nodded quickly. "Yes sir. It's all true." The man looked back to Miss. Nadia who only nodded in confirmation. </p><p>The cop nodded back before looking to Zander as he approached a certain pinkette. "And you Miss. Remi. What is your recollection of the fire?"  </p><p>The pinkette looked up at the blue haired man. "Well...I was with Isen and Seraphina who were helping me clean up after a club I was hosting. We were in the West wing when the fire broke out. It spread very quickly so we didn't have a lot of time to stop and think about what was happening. But we evacuated all the students we could find and helped lead some who had gotten lost in the chaos. We eventually went outside where the teachers led us to the front gates."</p><p>Keon raised an eyebrow. "Might I ask what club you were hosting?" The girl raised an eyebrow, a bit put off by the question. Seraphina narrowed her eyes. 'Why would they need to know this?'</p><p>Remi looked back and forth from Keon to Zander. "Uh...is-is it important for the investigation?" Zander looked at her and nodded, crossing his arms. "It is."</p><p>Remi chewed on her lip slightly but nodded. "I...was hosting a safe house club."</p><p>The adults in the room all stared at her in shock. Keon looked at her. "'Safe house?' Why would you be hosting a safe house club?"</p><p>The girl shifted uncomfortably. "I...I helped created it to allow students to feel safe. Lately, there's been a lot of violence in the school so I'm trying to give students a space to be themselves and socialize with one another without fearing violence."</p><p>Both her and Keon looked to Nadia. "No lies yet."</p><p>Both men looked at the girl, staring her down. "When you say 'socialize with each other' what do you mean by that?"</p><p>The pinkette looked at them, at a loss for words. If she said it was to help bring everyone together regardless if ability, she didn't know how they would take it.</p><p>Isen spoke up. "Sir, I don't understand how this is relevant to what happened during the fire. You said you were going to-" Zander placed both of his hands on the edge of the desk and stared the teen down, eyes faintly glowing.</p><p>The teen felt like the air around him grew cold, noticing his breath appear in front of him as the blue haired man  glared at him.</p><p>Isen shrunk back in his seat as he was stared down by the man. "Know your place kid. Don't interrupt us."</p><p>The teen nodded, face a bit pale as Zander stood back up, looking over to Remi. "Continue."</p><p>The girl bit her lip. "I mean just for people to get along...that we're all not that different from one another..."</p><p>Zander raised an eyebrow. "So you mean high tiers and low tiers socializing together?"</p><p>She looked between him and Miss Nadia, knowing they had her cornered.</p><p>She was about to open her mouth when Cecile spoke up. "Sir, this has nothing to do with what you called us down here for. If you have no further questions, then let us leave." Zander glared at her before Keon spoke up. </p><p>"Miss, we were informed that there was an intruder in the school the day of the incident. Keene said they just randomly appeared before vanishing again. A student we talked to already says they saw a suspicious figure in a club that sounds very similar to this one. We're asking about specifics so we can get a club sign up list and see who was there to check our references." Cecile raised her eyebrows. She wasn't expecting that to be quite frank.</p><p>"Uh...ok." She looked at Remi who finally replied. "For your question, yes, it is. High tiers and low tiers are too divided here at school. Low tiers don't come to us for their issues like if they're being bullied or harassed. They don't rely on us. This club, it's to fix those relations with them." The pinkette wasn't wrong.</p><p>It was the basis they built the safe house on. Everyone was too divided at the moment and they needed to repair the relationships that had been lost over he past few years. </p><p>Keon nodded before looking to the other students. "As for the rest of you, have you encountered anything out of the ordinary over the past few days or have encountered any strange activities?"</p><p>Cecile looked to the side slightly. She was about to open her mouth but immediately thought against it. The shadow she encountered on Monday was probably nothing. It was just a figment of her imagination. Nothing to be worried about, right?</p><p>Everyone answered no, including Blyke.</p><p>The cop nodded before looking to Miss. Nadia who only smiled. "All clear sir." The man sighed. "Good. I believe that will be all for today." </p><p>The 6 of them stood up and quickly exited the room, wanting to get as far away from the three adults as possible.</p><p>The second the door shut and they were sure the teens were out of ear shot, Keon looked to Miss Nadia. "So, who lied?"</p><p>The woman sighed as she set her clipboard down. </p><p>"Just one."</p><p>She pulled out a picture of one of the teens. "They match the description you had put out earlier in the week. Should we ask Keene if we can bring-?"</p><p>"No. Keene will have a short leash on all the students. He's already moving half the graduating class back into the dorms. We'll wait until they make a move. Zander," He looked over to the blue haired man who nodded. "Yes sir?"</p><p>He handed the man the file with the head shot. "Think you can find someone to help us with this?"</p><p>Zander smirked. "I have someone in mind."</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>Isen groaned as he walked down the block with the others. "Man, that was awful!"</p><p>Arlo raised an eyebrow. "Stop over reacting. They're members of the authority, they're meant to be imposing." Isen waved his arms about. "Yeah, but you didn't see the way that Zander guy stared me down! His glare was so cold that I could literally see my breath! I thought he was going to stab me where I sat!"</p><p>Cecile rolled her eyes. "Relax. I know I wouldn't waste my time trying to kill you, so why should they?"</p><p>Isen smiled. "Thank you Cecile, I-..." He stopped before he stared at the teal haired girl, deadpanning. "Why do you like doing this to me?"</p><p>The girl eyed her nails, trying to find imperfections in their polished tips. "Cause it's too easy not to."</p><p>Blyke chuckled as he patted Isen on the back.</p><p>The ex-king sighed as he looked to everyone. "Now that the madness of this morning is finally over and done with, I'll be heading to class. I hope I don't see any of you for the rest of the day."</p><p>Remi gasped before kicking the blonde in the shin and crossing her arms. Arlo only sighed. "Fine, almost all of you...despite how annoying some of you can be..." He muttered the last part under his breath as he walked off, stuffing his hands in his pockets.</p><p>Cecile followed suit as she went to the press room, knowing she had a lot to catch up on and the other members would be waiting for her to start. </p><p>Blyke and Isen walked off to Algebra, leaving the queen and ex-ace. Remi looked at Seraphina, the other staring at the floor.</p><p>The pinkette placed a hand on the girls shoulder. "Seraphina? I didn't get to ask this earlier but...are you ok?"</p><p>The girl looked away, saying nothing in response. Remi eventually pulled her hand back. "It's just...I know you and John had a falling out, but you still cared about him. I know this may not be easy for you."</p><p>She kept her head down, emotions numbing her train of thought. "Remi, I...I don't really know how to feel right now. It's just really confusing for me. On one hand I'm worried. Not just because he's my friend, but because he's the strongest person here. Whoever these people are managed to subdue and take him from right under us. If they can do that to him, what chance do any of us stand?"</p><p>Seraphina rubbed her eyes. "But on the other hand, I'm terrified <em>for</em> him. We may not be on good terms but, that doesn't mean I don't care about him. I just...I don't know what to do Remi...I just feel so lost without him. I thought nothing could compare to the pain I felt when I found out he was Joker, but <em>this</em>...it's a hundred times worse. Because this time, I don't know when or even <em>if</em> I'll ever see him again..." </p><p>Remi stared at her, knowing this was a lot for the ex-ace to process. "Don't say that! We'll find him Seraphina. We just have to keep our heads high and start searching. I know it's not easy but, we have to keep our hopes up. We can find him if we do this together. Ok?"</p><p>Seraphina finally looked into Remi's amber eyes. As much as she wanted to let herself sink further into despair, Remi was right. They had to keep their hopes up. There was still a very good chance that John was out there somewhere and they had to focus on finding him.</p><p>She had to find him. </p><p>Because otherwise, she didn't know what she would do without him...</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Chapter 17: end.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0020"><h2>20. Leech</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>*WARNING*: This chapter contains mental/physical torture and violence. Viewer discretion is advised please! </b>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Everything echoed as John was flung back into consciousness. He woke up with a start, his pulse going crazy.</p><p>'What's going on?! Where am I?!'</p><p>He gasped as he sat up, realizing he was back in his cell. </p><p>John felt a small twinge of pain in his ribs but surprisingly, the aching in his face was gone for the most part. The area around his eye and nose was sore but at least he could actually see now. </p><p>His skin tingled in an itchy manner; a lingering effect of having been healed at some point.</p><p>He attempted to get up, gasping when his leg gave out. "Agh...!" He narrowed his eyes in anger as he sat back down. 'Sadistic pieces of sh*t...you'll heal my f*cking ribs but you won't heal a broken leg?'</p><p>Though, he wasn't too surprised. He was less of a threat without both legs in optimal shape and the more they didn't have to deal with fighting him, the better. </p><p>The teen scratched his head slightly as he looked around the empty room. "How long was I out...?" The question only bounced about the room, remaining unanswered.</p><p>His mind drew a blank over what occurred a few hours ago. Flashes of what had happened danced across the teens vision, causing his pulse to rise. John bit his lip and held his head, urging for the thoughts to disappear. 'Please no...not now...I have to focus on getting out of here...'</p><p>But that thought was only getting fainter by the day. </p><p>How long had he been stuck in this cell now? A few days? Maybe a week? </p><p>If he was going to find a way to escape, he would've done it by now...</p><p>John numbly pulled himself over to the wall and sat against it, trying to tame his frazzled mind. He was terrified of what else the man had up his sleeve. </p><p>This wasn't a simple readjustment class like last time. This was interrogation, torture even. He couldn't let Keon break him down.</p><p>John didn't want to stay here and as much as he was losing the will to keep fighting them, he <em>needed</em> to get out before that could happen.  </p><p>*CLANG* </p><p>Two guards walked in and all John could do was scoot away as one reached over and grabbed him.</p><p>John narrowed his eyes as he thrashed against them. "Let go of me!"</p><p>The two guards only looked to the teen before looking back at one another. Their faces were blank before they broke out into laughter. </p><p>"'Let go of me!' he says! HA! So pathetic! And you're supposed to be a god tier?" The other man chuckled. "Honestly I think he's just a weak *ss cripple. Does he even have an ability-?"</p><p>The guard doubled over in pain, stopping his taunts as John kneed him in the crotch, causing the guard to howl in pain. The teen head butted the other man still holding him up and managed to put a slight amount of distance between them. </p><p>That was, until John felt something zap his ankle, his body going numb with pain as his body twitched before hitting the floor. John gasped, struggling to move as his brain tried to process what just happened.</p><p>The guard whom he headbutted stood up, glaring down at him with teal eyes. "F*cking brat. Thought you could pull a fast one on us?!" John coughed when he felt a kick to his stomach, flipping over onto his back. The other guard who was nailed in his lower parts, slowly rose to his feet and stared at him as he placed his taser back in his pocket.</p><p>"This kid is such a f*cking pain Egil! I swear, if Keon doesn't let us start chaining him up, I'll do it myself and save everyone the trouble." The man now known as Egil sighed, his silver bangs falling in front of his teal irises despite the rest being held up in a bun.</p><p>"Enough Orion. As much as I want you to, we can't go against their orders. Though, I'm sure they'll understand why our dear friend here is a little roughed up before their sessions, don't you?"</p><p>Orion smirked, his navy blue hair falling in front of his face and pale green eyes staring at the ravenette who still lay twitching on the floor.  </p><p>The teen could do nothing but watch as the two guards grabbed a hold of his arms and forced him along. John let his thoughts trail off as he was dragged.</p><p>He was supposed to be a <em>monster, </em>something to fear and hate.</p><p>Yet he couldn't do anything right now to fight these men unless they activated their powers. </p><p>He was useless without <em>his own</em> ability...</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>John struggled in the two males grasp as they forced him into a chair, a desk in front of him. He thrashed as he attempted to wrench his limbs away but they quickly clamped his wrists down into the cuffs bolted to the metal table.</p><p>Orion turned over his shoulder, smirking. "Good luck kid! You're going to need it."</p><p>John growled out. "F*ck off. You and your sh*ty man bun friend can go jump off a cliff."</p><p>Orion's face formed into a snarl as he was about to head over. Egil only grabbed his shoulder. "Stop. He'll be here soon. We'll let him deal with the brat." Orion rolled his eyes before following him out, leaving the teen in darkness.</p><p>The teen yanked his arms back and forth, trying to somehow slip them through. But he knew it was useless.</p><p>Regardless, his fight or flight instinct had already kicked in and was desperately trying to get himself out of here.</p><p>John knew <em>exactly</em> what was about to come and he couldn't do it. </p><p>He couldn't go through that <b>again</b>! </p><p>The teen broke down within a month of Keon's 'teaching sessions.'</p><p>There was no way he could make it that long a second time around, especially now that it seems they're going to use more extreme methods to get him to comply.</p><p>He didn't want to do this...he didn't want to go through more mind games.</p><p>John panted, placing his head down as he tried to focus and get his breathing under control. "Please...please, please, please...not again..."  </p><p>The dark room opened up again, the darkness clearing away. The teen held his breath as he looked up.</p><p>John glared daggers at him as he tried to hide his fear for the man. He didn't want to give Keon <em>any</em> satisfaction.</p><p>Said man only stared at the teen. "Well, isn't this a case of deja vu? Some things really do never change." John tugged at his wrists again as the man rounded behind him.</p><p>"Why am I here Keon...?" The man slammed his hands down on the table, causing the teen to jump slightly. </p><p>Keon leaned forward, eye level with John. "Please John. Like you don't know. There are so many things we could go over that we would be here for weeks. But for today, I'm here to go over your behavior towards the hierarchy."</p><p>Keon stood in front of the teen, crossing his arms. "My superiors and I find it quite disturbing how little regard you have for this system. But, I'm here to fix that."</p><p>John narrowed his eyes, trying to hide his terror. "Oh yeah...? Well, I find it quite disturbing how all you high tiers find it comical to watch those under you suffer. All of you high rankers are f*cking tra-" </p><p><b><em>*SLAP!*</em></b> </p><p>John hissed as his cheek stung, a tingling sensation running along his cheek. He turned his attention back to the man in front of him who only straightened his tie before staring back at the teen. "Hierarchy is the way things should be. To fight against it is to fight against natural order. The problem isn't high tiers John. The problem is pests like you acting as if you know <em>better</em> than us."</p><p>The teen clenched his fists. "Except you're all living in a fools daydream! All of you are entitled and selfish! You only care about yourselves and when you don't get your way, you abuse your power!"</p><p>John grit his teeth as Keon grabbed his head, yanking at his scalp. "Oh really? Then, let's see what good you've done."</p><p>The world fell away as John was plunged into his memories.</p><p>.......................................................................</p><p>
  <em>John stood over the unconscious body of a third year student, her green buns stained with droplets of blood.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>She was out for the count and yet, John still picked his foot up and slammed his toe into her ribs, sending her sliding down the hallway like a cube of ice. Only then did John walk right past her, leaving her bloodied form laying there in the hallway.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>John raised his foot over the unconscious pinkette. About to bring it down, he was tackled to the side by the tall blonde, the teen struggling to take him down.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"AREN'T YOU DONE YET?!" He threw John to the ground, the ravenette becoming enraged.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"YOUR SCORE IS WITH ME! YOU HAD NO REASON TO BEAT HER TO THIS EXTENT! WHAT THE </em>
  <em>
    <b>HELL</b>
  </em>
  <em> DID SHE EVER DO TO YOU?!" John only huffed before electrocuting the teen above him, proceeding to toss him around before slamming his skull into the pavement.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>John hovered over the broken form of an elite tier with his foot on his head, looking at the crowds that had gathered at the windows. He looked down at the cowering teen who's chin length blue hair stuck to his face and green eyes stared down at the ground in absolute terror. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>John only scoffed before nailing him in the chest with his foot. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>He let the blue haired male flop backwards onto the cement before walking way, leaving him to be cleaned up with the other two teens who also sat in bloodied piles along the courtyard.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>................................................................</em>
</p><p>"STOP IT!" John bit his lip and tugged his head out of Keon's grip, shutting his eyes tightly. </p><p>The man only scowled as he stood up straight. "You're one to talk about abusing power, <em>hypocrite</em>. You picked fights with every last one of them and even though you knew you could win, you still beat them to the point of hospitalization."</p><p>John yanked his wrists slightly. "F*cking b*stard! They all deserved it! Every last one of them! They're all-"</p><p>
  <em>
    <b>*SLAP!*</b>
  </em>
</p><p>John's head reeled to the side, blood starting to collect in his mouth from biting the inside of his cheek.</p><p>The man glared down. "<em>You</em> are the problem John. You don't listen to anyone, even if they have every right to stand over you. You aren't a high tier John. You're a late bloomer who got drunk off of power and <b>still</b> remained completely and utterly useless. You're nothing but a filthy cripple who leeches off of others. Your ability is nothing but a cheap party trick."</p><p>The ravenette snapped, his eyes glowing a burnt gold.</p><p>Even though Keon was voicing his own thoughts, John didn't want them to be true. </p><p>His anger pushed through his pain as he stood on both feet. "CHEAP PARTY TRICK?! Why don't you unhand-cuff me from this table and I'll show you what this 'cheap party trick' can do!" </p><p>Keon scoffed before kicking Johns leg out, sending him crashing to the floor. The teen yelped as he landed on his knees, his wrists scratching against the cuffs and his leg flaring with pain. He huffed before looking back up at the cop. </p><p>The man leaned down, his eyes still glowing sharply in the dark. "You could <em>never</em> hope to face me. You see, we both know there's a small flaw with your abilities; you have to actually <em><b>see</b></em> them in order to copy them. With abilities like mine however, you have nothing to leech off of."</p><p>Keon let his ability deactivate. "You are weak John. With or without an ability, you will always be as useful as a <em>cripple</em>. The <b>only</b> thing you can do is use others to further yourself." </p><p>The teen scowled before spitting in the foul mans face, Keon reeling back as he wiped at the blood and saliva splattered across his skin. </p><p>John wasn't going to show this man weakness. Not like before. He may have been terrified, but he wasn't going to let the man talk him down like this when the cop was just as bad, if not <em>worse</em>, than John. "F*ck you and go to hell you useless cop! If I have as much use as a cripple, then you're even more worthless then I am!"</p><p>Keon went red with rage before grabbing the teens hair and slamming his head against the edge of the table.</p><p>John cried out, his skull throbbing with pain now. He felt blood trickle down his nose as Keon grabbed his hair and forced the teen to look up at him. "Unlike you John, I'm <em>actually</em> useful. I don't have to pretend to be something I'm not in order to actually be someone of worth." </p><p>He shoved John's head back, a few strands of ebony hair falling to the floor.</p><p>The seething cop looked over as he heard someone walk into the room. "Perfect, I was just about to call for you. It's your turn to deal with him. I have something to take care of for a bit." Keon stormed passed her as he walked out of the room.</p><p>Marcella smirked as she stalked into the room like a predator searching for it's prey. John tried to keep his poker face, but the second his gaze landed on her, fear started crawling into his expression. </p><p>He stared not at her face, but at the sharpened claws that adorned her fingers like eagles talons. He felt the color drain from his face slightly as he looked up, her blood red eyes seeming to pierce his soul.</p><p>John shook his head slightly, trying to move away as the woman grabbed a hold of his arm. "You and I are going to have a little talk John..."</p><p>The ravenette bit his lip as he felt sweat start collecting at the back of his neck. <br/><br/><br/></p><p>Keon finished cleaning off his face as he shut the door, drowning out the teens pain filled screams that began echoing through the door and into the hallway.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>Marcella chuckled as she pulled away her crimson stained claws, the liquid dripping down to her wrists. "You should know this by now John: you are nothing but a fake. You will <em>never</em> actually be a high tier. Late bloomers like you should remember where you stand."</p><p>The teen was collapsed on the floor in front of her, trembling as he stared to the side and avoided her gaze.</p><p>He had been yanked out of his restraints awhile ago, not able to fight back against the woman. </p><p>His right sleeve was ripped open and his whole arm was drenched in blood. Cuts littered his face, neck and arms, the woman's claws having sliced through his skin with ease.</p><p>John made no attempt to move, still frozen with shock as the woman walked out of the room, the clicking of her heels signaling her departure.</p><p>"See you tomorrow John!"</p><p>Only when the door closed did the ravenette finally start trying to move, his body ridged. He cried out in pain as he tried to move his arm. </p><p>"Augh! F*ck...!" He moved his other arm over to his torn up limb as he attempted to sit up. He couldn't help the sounds of pain that escaped his lips as he dragged himself over to the chair, having to haul himself on to it.</p><p>Once he was settled on the chair, he lifted his right arm up to get a better view of it. He felt his throat tighten and his eyes go wide when he saw that it wasn't just deep cuts covering his skin, but also <em>words</em>.</p><p>Across his forearm, the words 'cripple' and 'leech' were engraved into his flesh, the jagged font marking his skin like a tattoo.</p><p>Even though they weren't curse words or foul terms, the phrases felt repulsive to John. </p><p>He remembered how often he would be given those nicknames in elementary and middle school, when Adrion would protect him from people wanting to test out their budding abilities on the powerless kid.</p><p>He remembered how some people would call his dad the same phrases since his editor protected him from being chastised and targeted by other writers gunning for his work and job.</p><p>They were both treated like sh*t over something they had no control over, even when they did everything in their power to at least do <em>something</em> worthwhile and even when John finally got an ability, he was still viewed the same.</p><p>And it felt humiliating...</p><p>John had worked <em>so damn hard</em> to get to where he is, to manifest his ability to this extent. Countless hours of training, suffering defeat after defeat in order to perfect his techniques, even pulling all nighters trying to memorize various abilities. </p><p>Yet no matter how much he stood above others, no matter how much power he held, he was always viewed as nothing more than a parasite, as a useless, pathetic cripple who couldn't do a damn thing without others support.</p><p>He <em>wasn't</em> weak yet at the same time, he held <b>no</b> power...</p><p>He tried to clench his hand into a fist but found he could not do so, pain shooting up to his shoulder. </p><p>John looked away from the gruesome wound as he let his arm drop back down, his head falling back to stare at the ceiling. He bit his lip, not wanting to focus on the pain or his thoughts.</p><p>He let his eyes start drifting close when the door opened again, the two guards tasked with transporting him stepping into the room.</p><p>John yelped in pain as the two guards grabbed his arms and chained him back down to the table. He clenched his fists as he was once again plunged into the dark, his thoughts eating away at him.</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Chapter 18: end.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0021"><h2>21. Changes</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>By the time Wednesday came around, everyone had forgotten about their little interrogation.</p><p>Everything felt strangely peaceful, especially for Remi who seemed to be in high spirits today. </p><p>The safe house had cancelled their Monday and Tuesday sessions to let students adjust back to their classes. But now, the safe house was back on and Remi couldn't have been happier.</p><p>So far, things seemed to be running smoother in the school. Both Blyke and Isen reported that they had to break up less fights than usual, even managing to get some people to actually <em>apologize</em> to one another.</p><p>It sounded almost too good to be true.</p><p>She practically skipped inside as she attended her first class. She normally hated Chemistry, but, even having to clean up a broken beaker didn't dampen her mood.</p><p>Remi knew there was still the whole John situation to take care of as well as what would happen to their headmaster.</p><p>All of these things happening left her worried. There was no telling what lay ahead for her or any of the other royals. But she knew she had to keep pushing forward despite the odds.</p><p>Even if she could solve just one problem for now, that was good enough for her.</p><p>She would be meeting later on with Seraphina after school to help her start looking for clues and start tracking down leads.</p><p>For once, things seemed to be fairly normal.</p><p>But even that had to end... </p><p>Remi had just gotten lunch when she heard a commotion around one of the bulletin boards.</p><p>As she walked to the doors, she overheard some students. "Did you see the board?" "No. Why?" "This is madness! They can't do this!" "We don't have a choice man." "As if my day couldn't get any worse."</p><p>Remi raised an eyebrow but ignored it for now. She had other things to attend to.</p><p>As she left the lunch room however, she noticed something odd.</p><p>There were strange yellow flyers everywhere, plastered to walls, bulletin boards, and even hidden in the slots of lockers.</p><p>Students were holding these flyers, some in confusion, others crinkling up the sheets and ripping them to bits, others in complete shock.</p><p>Walking around the halls shouldn't have felt as odd as it did. But for Remi, it felt weird. She felt like all eyes were on her as she walked towards her locker to drop off some books before going to have lunch with Blyke and Isen at the safe house.</p><p>She eventually stopped by her locker, able to finally get a look at the sheets of paper. The pinkette stared at the flyer and gasped. "W-what...?!"</p><p>Printed in bold letters was a briefing of sorts, a message to all the students.</p><p>_______________________________</p><p>
  <b>ATTENTION! STARTING ON FRIDAY, THE FOLLOWING LIST OF CLUBS AND EVENTS WILL BE DISCONTINUED DUE TO UNFORESEEN CIRCUMSTANCES:</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>-Art club </b>
</p><p>
  <b>-Poetry</b>
</p><p>
  <b>-Book club </b>
</p><p>
  <b>-After school sporting events  </b>
</p><p>
  <b>-Musical talents club </b>
</p><p>
  <b>-Drama   </b>
</p><p>
  <b>-Chess club  </b>
</p><p>
  <b>-</b>
  <span class="u">
    <b>
      <em>Safe house</em>
    </b>
  </span>
  <span class="u">
    
  </span>
  
</p><p>
  <b>-Student union </b>
</p><p>
  <b>-National honors society </b>
</p><p>
  <b>-School press </b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>ALL DECISIONS ARE FINAL! </b>
</p><p><b>'['*See Mr. Keene for more details.*']'</b> </p><p>__________________________________</p><p>Remi stared at the flyer in her hands before crinkling it up. 'Why...? We just got started and even then, we still had a great turn out...why would Keene do this?! He was even the one to help us set up the club in the first place! Why would he change his mind like this?!'</p><p>The pinkette grabbed her phone and texted Blyke and Isen, opening up the chat room with them. </p><p>~~~Three Musketeers &lt;3~~~</p><p>
  <span class="u">
    <em>Remi💗: /have you guys seen the flyers posted around school???/</em>
  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span class="u">
    <em>Blyke🔥: /</em>
  </span>
  <span class="u">
    <em>yea</em>
  </span>
  <span class="u">
    <em>. no one knows </em>
  </span>
  <span class="u">
    <em>whats</em>
  </span>
  <span class="u">
    <em> going on/</em>
  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span class="u">
    <em>Isen✒️: /Asked Cecile and she had no clue. no one came to her about posting flyers./</em>
  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span class="u">
    <em>Isen✒️: /shes actually pretty distraught rn since the school paper is also on the list but then again we all are.../</em>
  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span class="u">
    <em>Blyke🔥: /Wait the press is there too?!?! Damn...I'm sorry bro i know how much you love writing/</em>
  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span class="u">
    <em>Isen✒️: /as much as we all hate it, we can't do anything. We'll be havin our last </em>
  </span>
  <span class="u">
    <em>mmeting</em>
  </span>
  <span class="u">
    <em> after school today/</em>
  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span class="u">
    <em>Remi💗: /im sry Isen.../</em>
  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span class="u">
    <em>Isen✒️: /</em>
  </span>
  <span class="u">
    <em>dont</em>
  </span>
  <span class="u">
    <em> worry abt me Rem. go find Keene and ask him </em>
  </span>
  <span class="u">
    <em>whats</em>
  </span>
  <span class="u">
    <em> going on with the safe house. I know how much the club means to u./</em>
  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span class="u">
    <em>Remi💗: /Will do/</em>
  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span class="u">
    <em>Blyke🔥: /</em>
  </span>
  <span class="u">
    <em>NOOOO</em>
  </span>
  <span class="u">
    <em>/</em>
  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span class="u">
    <em>Remi💗: /BLYKE???!?! </em>
  </span>
  <span class="u">
    <em>WHATS</em>
  </span>
  <span class="u">
    
  </span>
  <span class="u">
    <em>WRG</em>
  </span>
  <span class="u">
    <em>?!?!?/</em>
  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span class="u">Blyke🔥: /THEY </span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span class="u">CANCLED</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span class="u"> LOOK CUB!/</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span class="u">
    <em>Remi💗: /.../</em>
  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span class="u">
    <em>Isen✒️: /.../</em>
  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span class="u">
    <em>Isen✒️</em>
  </span>
  <span class="u">
    <em>: /come again Blyke?/</em>
  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span class="u">
    <em>Blyke🔥: /*cooking club* </em>
  </span>
  <span class="u">
    <em>tey</em>
  </span>
  <span class="u">
    <em> just cancelled cooking club!/</em>
  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span class="u">
    <em>Remi💗: / WHAT?! &gt;:0/</em>
  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span class="u">
    <em>Isen✒️: / </em>
  </span>
  <span class="u">
    <em>NOOOOOOOOO</em>
  </span>
  <span class="u">
    <em>! WHERE AM I GOING TO GET FREE FOOD NW?!/</em>
  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span class="u">
    <em>Blyke🔥: /we were planning on learning how to make chocolate mousse this week...i was going to make chocolate mousse cups to celebrate your b-day Isen...and then we were going to learn how to make raspberry shortbread cookies for Remi's/</em>
  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span class="u">
    <em>Isen✒️: /bro...T~T this is why you're my best friend...</em>
  </span>
  <em>
    <span class="u">/</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span class="u">Remi💗: /as much as I want to love and admire the fact Blyke has been learning how to cook fot us, i need to </span>
  </em>
  <span class="u">
    <em>go find Keene./</em>
  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span class="u">
    <em>Isen✒️: /K. Im gonna go ask if anyone's dealing with the same thing with some other clubs/</em>
  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span class="u">
    <em>Blyke🔥: /same. I'll meet you after class Rem./</em>
  </span>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>With that, Remi put her phone away and shut her locker, walking off to find the groundskeeper.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>Keene sat in his office, head on his desk and coffee next to him. </p><p>He was DONE with all this sh*t.</p><p>He's had officers in and out of his office all day now, not to mention the dozens of students who were angry or saddened by the loss or their favorite clubs.</p><p>He's had to console multiple students who had found friends, even family in these clubs. Despite their differences, they all came together to have fun and celebrate their talents.</p><p>It was depressing for the caring man to do this to them...</p><p>He had managed to hold off the clubs closing until after they had one last meeting, explaining to their members what was happening. The kids deserved <em>that</em> at least.</p><p>He didn't know how the ex-royals would take the news but he knew he would being seeing them soon so it came as no surprise to the dusty blonde when Wellston's queen knocked on the door, walking in. Her club had only just started and now it was being shut down. Keene felt nothing but guilt towards the girl. She gave it her everything to make this work and now it was all being ripped out of her hands.</p><p>The man looked up to greet her. "Hello Remi..."</p><p>The queen took a step back, surprised by the mans appearance. "Uhm...are you alright Mr. Keene...?"</p><p>The man looked like a wreak. His hair was up in every direction possible and he had started growing a stubble. The bags under his eyes only indicated that the man hasn't gotten a proper nights sleep in days.</p><p>The poor groundskeeper looked like a mess and Remi couldn't help but feel sorry for the man.</p><p>Keene just sighed before taking off his glasses, cleaning them off. "Oh I'm peachy Remi...so, I take it you're here to ask about the club cancellations too?"</p><p>Remi looked at the paper in her hand before nodding. "Uh...yes. And not just the safe house but all the other clubs too. Why are these clubs specifically being shut down. It seems so random to shut these down but not all of them. Not only that but, the safe house was doing so well, even after one day! Why are we being shut down when we're just getting started?"</p><p>Keene ran a hand over his face. "Remi, I'm sorry. But I have to close it with everything that's been happening over the past couple of weeks."</p><p>The pinkette crossed her arms. "But why?! So many people are losing the things they love to do! Don't we have a right to know why our clubs are being destroyed like this?! It's almost as if you're dividing us!"</p><p>The man sighed. "Remi, I'm sorry, but I can't. There a lot going on right now that you don't understand."</p><p>Remi scoffed. "Is there? Because I know EXACTLY what's going on. Vaughn in the hospital, him being tied to EMBER even though we've seen little to no evidence, John being mis-" Keene shushed her quickly, looking around frantically.</p><p>Keene's eyes went wide as looked back and forth slightly. Remi could see the man furrow his eyebrows, worry crossing his face before he nodded his head, gesturing to the chair in front of his desk. </p><p>He got up and shut the door, walking back over and keeping his voice low. "If I tell you, you must promise me you'll keep this conversation private. No one outside of these four walls must know."</p><p>The pinkette raised an eyebrow. Why was he acting so...suspicious? Keene was normally very calm, collected even. But right now, he looked wired; jittery for some reason.</p><p>Almost as if he was...scared?</p><p>Regardless though, Remi nodded her head, agreeing to stay silent. </p><p>The man scratched the back of his neck slightly before taking a deep breath, keeping his voice as quiet as he could before settling into his chair. "I'm sure you've seen the list of clubs being shut down as of late, right?"</p><p>She nodded as Keene continued. "Well, have you noticed any...similarities...between all those clubs, something they all have in common?"</p><p>Remi raised an eyebrow. She stared down at the sheet in her hands. "No, and I don't see what-..." She stopped herself as she read over the list again. Art club, the school press, after school sports...they all had open sign ups; meaning <em>anyone</em> could participate in these clubs. 'Wait...all these clubs...don't they all have-...oh no...'</p><p>Remi's eyes went wide as she looked back up at Keene, shock and worry pulling at her features. Keene nodded as Remi shook her head. "But-but why? Why are these clubs specifically being shut down?! Shutting down clubs because of this is-!" Keene shushed her quickly, looking around the room. </p><p>He leaned over his desk, his eyes taking on a fearful glance. "Remi look...it wasn't <b><em>my</em></b> choice to shut these clubs down...<em>but I have no choice but to do it</em>. There are things about to happen here at Wellston, things that are not going to be pleasant. Right now, they want to keep the students divided, to keep them distracted from everything that's about to happen. Believe me when I say, I don't think Vaughn is tied to EMBER. These changes, they're to keep our focus elsewhere while they try to take over..."</p><p>Remi's eyes went a bit wide. "Wha-" Keene interrupted her. "Remi, these clubs, it's just the beginning. The things abut to happen, even this very school is out of my hands right now and what's about to occur could very well <b>end</b> Wellston Private High as we know it..."</p><p>Remi raised an eyebrow. "Keene, what...? You're not making any sense-"</p><p>Keene gulped when he heard a knock on the door before calling out to whomever stood on the other side. "One moment please!" </p><p>The man looked around feverishly before snatching a wild pen off his desk and quickly scribbled something down on a sticky-note. He folded it up, handing it to the girl. He stood up as he whispered to her. "Take this and read it somewhere safe. For now, act distraught."</p><p>"Wh-?" "Just do it...!" Remi quickly put on the facade as the door opened, a man with periwinkle hair and dark blue eyes standing in the doorway. "Mr. Keene? I need to talk to you about-oh..." </p><p>He looked over to the pinkette who was putting on quite the performance at the moment. Even Keene was impressed at how fast she was able to pull it off.</p><p>The girl had tears running down her face and had grabbed a tissue, trying to blot away the liquid. She held the bright yellow flyer crumpled up in her hands, hiding the orange sticky note in it.</p><p>The man looked uncomfortable, but knew he needed to talk to the man. "Uh...I need to talk to you Keene. It's about, well, private matters." Keene nodded at detective Kace. "No problem Kace. Just give me a moment."</p><p>Keene looked to the pinkette who looked back. "Remi, I'm sorry about your club, but there's nothing I can do. Unfortunately, with taking care of the damages to the school, we've had to cut costs and a lot of clubs have to go. I'm trying the best that I can but I'm sorry, this situation is out of my <em>hands</em>." Keene kept his back to Kace as he peered at the slip of paper in Remi's hands before back to her.</p><p>It was a silent request. 'Make sure you read it.' and Remi understood it perfectly.</p><p>The pinkette let more tears fall as she wiped her eyes before solemnly nodding. "I...I understand Mr. Keene..." She sighed before getting up and briskly walking out of the room, throwing away her tissue in the process.</p><p>She shut the door to Keene's office once detective Kace walked in. Remi peered down at the note in her hands before looking around. 'Not here...there's too many people.'</p><p>She instead left, stuffing the note in the pocket of her blazer before walking towards the roof. The pinkette quickly jogged up the stairs until she made it up and out onto the cloudy scenery. Once the door shut and she was sure there was no one around, she pulled the piece of paper out of her pocket and unfolded it, reading over the black, messy ink.</p><p>Remi felt herself go pale as she read the words. </p><p>No...there was no way...</p><p>But the writing was right in front of her, practically slapping her in the face. Keenes words stared back at her as Remi red the small print over and over again.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span class="u">-ember is watching us...the authorities are taking over the school...Wellston isn't safe anymore.-</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>All the pinkette could do was stand there, her thoughts racing.</p><p>But one question stood out the most:</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>What were they going to do...?</em>
</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Chapter 19: end. </p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0022"><h2>22. Goodbyes</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Everyone sat in desks around the pristine room. No one spoke, no one moved. All the students in attendance only stared on with hurt in their eyes.</p><p>They all felt betrayed. They all felt swindled.</p><p>They had been robbed of something that had meant the world to each and every one of them and they couldn't even fight for it.</p><p>All the students could do was watch as Cecile got up, the cyanette circling around the desk and coming to sit on its edge to address the room. She wasn't going to stand tall in front of them, telling them that everything would be ok or that they would just have to suck it up and move on. Right now, she wasn't their press leader or another high ranker to tower over them.</p><p>Right now, she was their equal.</p><p>She was just another student who was being stripped of not only her club but her passion; her <em>job</em>.</p><p>The girl stared out at the solemn crowd, her violet eyes filled with hurt. Her heart ached for these people, for these kids who were just as passionate as she was, who had been by her side since day one in some cases.</p><p>It would hurt to say goodbye to them all.</p><p>Cecile sighed before clearing her throat. "...I'm sure you've all at least heard of or have seen the flyers going around school?" Everyone nodded. Cecile turned her head as a student, Juni to be exact, put up her hand. "Cecile...? Are the rumors true? Are we really closing?" Cecile looked down. "Well, to put out any rumors, yes...they are true. The school press is being shut down."</p><p>Students in the room whispered slightly, some giving shouts of confusion, others absolutely silent with heartbreak. A first year girl in the back broke down into tears, this club being her only escape in her life. These people were her friends despite her being a low tier and now they were being torn away from her.</p><p>A fourth year with lavender hair went over and hugged her, his own copper eyes filled with anger and sorrow. He didn't care how different all of them were, whether they were low tiers, mid tiers, elites; these people were his <em>family</em>.</p><p>Cecile nodded. "I know...I felt the same way when I found out too..." Terrance raised his hand. "Did you talk with Keene about this?"</p><p>A boy with sky blue hair was the one to answer the question. "Of course she did! But he said the same thing to her that he's been saying to everyone else: it's all because of the damn school budget! But even if that was the case, why are WE still being shut down when other clubs like the graduating class counsel and class representatives are still open when they take up more time and resources than we do?! Why are we-?!"</p><p>Isen placed a hand on the teens shoulder. The kid started shaking, angry with everything that was happening but at the same time, sad. Isen rubbed his back in an attempt to comfort him. "I know Otis...we all agree with you. But there's nothing we can do..."</p><p>Isen looked to the cyanette who nodded slightly. "I'm sorry guys...I'm so...so sorry. I wish there was something I could do to fix this. But I can't. All I can do for you guys right now is give you today to gather your projects and say goodbye. Grab each other's numbers if you'd like. But this is all I can do..."</p><p>The students looked at one another and for the rest of the meeting, they sat together, huddled in groups as they went over their articles and other random ideas and stories.</p><p>Some laughed, others cried. But overall, they made every minute left in the club count.</p><p>Unfortunately, it was eventually time to leave.</p><p>Students hugged each other for the last time, tears in their eyes as they exchanged numbers, some begging each other to meet up after school or to look for another club together.</p><p>Cecile looked over as Juni approached, holding her papers in one hand. The cyanette extended a hand out for the girl, only to be almost tackled as Juni wrapped her arms around the press leader.</p><p>She looked at the duel bunned girl before hugging her back ever so slightly. "Don't worry... it's going to be ok Juni. Promise me you'll keep writing and that you won't stop trying your best?"</p><p>Juni nodded as she wiped away the tears brimming her eyes. "Of course...! And the same to you too Cecile!"</p><p>She nodded as Juni left, both waving goodbye before Terrence walked over.</p><p>Out of all the people the cyanette would miss, Terrence was high on the list. He had been her right hand since he got to Wellston. He had done everything she said without question and had put out some amazing stories.</p><p>There was no way Cecile could thank the kid enough. She placed her hands on his shoulders as he looked up at her, green eyes filled with gloom. It was a look of hopelessness that she didn't know how to handle before hugging him.</p><p>The cyanette <b><em>hated</em></b> hugging people and would do whatever it took to avoid the gesture.</p><p>However, today was the only exception to that rule.</p><p>Terrence stood stiff as a board before hugging her back, crying into the girls shoulder.</p><p>This was his calling. It wasn't just a hobby for him. Despite his low status, he wanted to become a journalist, to write to his hearts content. And Cecile had helped him discover that passion; that <em>this</em> is what he wanted to do. He wasn't that good yet, but he had already made leaps and bounds in just one year under Cecile's care.</p><p>Letting go of this club was like letting go of a part of himself and it f*cking hurt. Terrence eventually let go, looking at Cecile. "You were probably the best press leader we've ever had...thank you for everything you've done." Cecile didn't smile, but Terrence could see that she appreciated his words, that she was touched by them. "Take care Terrence. I promise, you'll get there someday."</p><p>The brunette nodded before turning and leaving, collecting his things from off the floor before departing one last time.</p><p>That only left her and Isen. Isen watched Cecile as she sat down on the desk, eyes down casted. Isen took a seat next to her as he crossed his legs on the smooth surface.</p><p>The orange haired teen stared at the ceiling. "This is really it, isn't it...?" Cecile nodded. "Yeah...it's over."</p><p>Isen sighed as he rested his head in his hands. "Dammit...! Why did this have to happen...? Why now of all times? It's not like everything else is going to sh*t!"</p><p>The cyanette looked at the floor. "Believe me Isen, if I knew, I would tell you. But I don't. None of us do. We're all being shut down and no one knows why."</p><p>Isen huffed. "If this wasn't bad enough, now I have to go meet up to shut down the safe house."</p><p>Cecile looked over at Isen.</p><p>'That's right...he has to help Remi shut down her club too...'</p><p>Even though she hated Remi's lack of authority and how she lacked a proper backbone, she had to admire the girls commitment and her drive.</p><p>Everyone knew that when Remi had her mind set on something, she would see it through.</p><p>And she had her mind set on the safe house...</p><p>Cecile sighed. "Think she'll be ok? I know she cared about making this happen. Even though I think it's a stupid idea, I can't blame her for trying."</p><p>Isen shrugged. "Dunno. She's strong. She'll get through it. But I know she cares about the club a lot so it won't be easy for her to let go."</p><p>Cecile gave a dry chuckle. "It won't be easy for any of us to let go."</p><p>She looked around the room, a nostalgic feeling dawning upon her. "I've been in this room for over 3 years now...I've been manning the press since the middle of my freshman year when our old press leader quit halfway through the first semester...I knew I would be leaving eventually...but I didn't think I'd be saying goodbye this soon...I just-I wish I could just-..."</p><p>Isen looked to the girl. He knew that out of everyone in the press, this hurt her the most. This had been her life, her calling.</p><p>He only looked forward again as he placed a hand on her shoulder. "I know...me too." Cecile said nothing as she nodded. She couldn't change things despite what she wanted.</p><p>The only thing she could do now was keep moving, to keep writing despite the odds and push others to do the same.</p><p>Cecile took a deep breath as she stood up. She looked back at the teen who was still lost in thought. "Hey Isen?"</p><p>The teen looked over. "Yeah?"</p><p>The cyanette grabbed her bag before looking back at him. "Even though I give you a lot of crap for being an elite tier, I won't say the same about your writing skills. You are honestly one of the best writers I've ever had and I'm glad you came here. I know you do this for fun, but I hope you'll continue to write in the future. You really do have a talent I haven't seen before and I don't want you to waste it."</p><p>Isen stared at her, shocked at the words that came out of her mouth. Cecile would normally say his articles were well written and that she was glad she didn't have to correct him on typos and errors.</p><p>But to hear her actually say he was talented...?</p><p>Isen couldn't help the faint smile that tugged on his lips. "Thanks Cecile. I will. Even though you can be a massive b*tch sometimes, you really are the better press leader out of the two of us."</p><p>Isen smirked and ducked with a laugh as the cyanette chucked a book at him. "The one thing I <em>won't</em> miss about you though is your sarcastic nature you prick!"</p><p>Isen continued to laugh before straightening back up, giving a small wave to the girl as she left. "See you around Cecile."</p><p>The girl looked behind her and Isen swore for a split second, he saw a small smile tug at the corner of her lip. "See you around. Lock up behind me, would ya?"</p><p>Isen nodded as she left, the door softly shutting behind her.</p><p>The teen looked around the room with a small sigh. "I really am going to miss this place..." He rubbed his face before grabbing his bag, walking over to the door and shutting off the lights as he locked up the press room for the last time.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>Remi looked around at the safe house members who stared back with fearful and distraught faces. Some were sitting in chairs or on desks while others stood.</p><p>A girl with neon green hair pulled into a high ponytail walked forward slightly. "The safe house can't be shutting down! W-What are the rest of us going to do about all the bullies still running around, or worse: John?!"</p><p>The others joined in, also beginning to panic. Remi and Blyke looked at one another before the pinkette waved them down. "Woah, hold up everyone! Time out!"</p><p>Once they were all silent, Remi sighed. "Look, just because the safe house is closing doesn't mean things are going to go back to the way they were. Blyke, Isen, me and the others are still going to be looking out for you."</p><p>Blyke nodded as he added in. "The safe house was made because it was brought to our attention that there has been a lot of violence in the school with how low and mid tier students have been treated. Those problems aren't fixed yet so we're not going to stop until they are."</p><p>The other students looked to one another before agreeing with the redhead.</p><p>A student in the back with lemonade yellow hair pulling into a low bun and bright pink eyes raised her hand.</p><p>Remi nodded to her. "Yes?" The girl stepped forward slightly. "What about John? He's still king. What's he going to do to us now that we don't have a place to go?"</p><p>The two high tiers glanced at each other, worry crossing their expressions.</p><p>No one in the student body knew that John was MIA save for the royals and Isen. According to them, John was just either lounging on the roof in solitude since no one really checks up there anymore, or that he had some family business to take care of.</p><p>But they couldn't tell them.</p><p>For one thing, students would become even more panicked to find out their king of all people was missing.</p><p>And for another, they all knew too well that people would try to take advantage of the situation.</p><p>Remi looked back at them. "Guys, you won't have to worry about him. He hated the safe house, right? So now that it's gone, you won't have to worry about being targeted by him."</p><p>A boy in the crowd spoke up. "But what if he tried to get revenge on us for joining in the first place?! What will we do then?!"</p><p>Blyke crossed his arms, his face growing stern. "Then we'll protect you from him or his followers. He may be stronger than us, but that doesn't mean we can't run and get you to safety. John is a guy who looks for fights. He's not going to waste his time on people who run, especially if he doesn't have any personal business with you. Alright?"</p><p>People were hesitate given everything they've been through, but nonetheless, they agreed.</p><p>Remi nodded sadly. "Now...since this is the very last meeting, I want you guys to promise you'll look out for each other. If you see any violence, stand up for each other. Help someone out. You don't know who might need your help."</p><p>Blyke nodded. "If we want to stop all the violence in the school, we have to all be willing to work together."</p><p>The students all nodded, looking at one another.</p><p>Even though the safe house was done, that didn't mean things would go back to normal. They had to keep pushing for change.</p><p>Once everyone had finished leaving, Remi sat on the floor, knees to her chest. Blyke knelt down beside her. "You ok Rem?"</p><p>Remi shook her head. "We put <em>weeks</em> of work into this club. We did everything right to try and help these students but in the end, it was all for nothing..." She sighed. "Maybe some things just aren't meant to be."</p><p>Blyke placed a hand on her shoulder. "Don't say that Remi. It wasn't for nothing. Sure, the safe house didn't last long, but that doesn't mean we failed. Students <em>wanted</em> change to happen too and now that we've shown them we're willing to put in the effort, they're going to be willing to help make this happen."</p><p>The pinkette looked up at the red head, a faint smile adorning her face. "Yeah...you're right Blyke."</p><p>She sighed as she stood up. "Welp, lets start clearing out this room. We have to return those laptops and all those board games." Blyke nodded as he began to help her clear things away.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>Arlo walked around in the hallways, making his way to the front entrance. It was late, he was tired, and he had work to catch up on thanks to this whole Joker situation.</p><p>The blonde huffed as he remembered the ravenette. 'John...what the hell happened to you? In all the time I've known you, you have <b>always</b> been unnaturally strong. You can obliterate not just me, but Isen, Blyke AND Remi in one clean sweep. Yet some no name kidnappers managed to overpower and capture you?'</p><p>He ran a hand through his hair. He could care less what John did. He could care less about John himself. What he did care about though was the ravenette being missing. A Wellston student of his caliber disappearing into thin air was worrying to say the least and couldn't go unanswered. </p><p>But Arlo didn't wan to get himself involved at the moment. Besides, what could <em>he</em> do?</p><p>The blondes eyes went wide as an idea struck him. He might not be able to do anything, but he knew someone who could.</p><p>Arlo pulled out his phone, dialing a number he knew by heart. He waited for the other person to pick up, the line ringing 3 times before the line opened.</p><p>{"Hello? Arlo?"} Arlo gave a faint smile. If there was anyone who could help them, it was his aunt. </p><p>"Aunt Val? Are you busy later this weekend?" The line was silent for a second before she answered. {"Nope. I'm free this weekend since I'm taking my break from the school case. Why?"}</p><p>The blonde opened the door to the school, stepping out into the freezing air. "Well...I need your help. Somethings come up that some of my friends and I need to talk to you about."</p><p>He could see the woman thinking on the other end before she finally answered. {"Hmm...alright. I'll see you Saturday at the royal cafe. Sound good?"} </p><p>"Perfect. I'll see you then."</p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Chapter 20: end.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0023"><h2>23. Hatred</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>*WARNING*: This chapter contains mental and physical torture as well as mentions of traumatic experiences. Viewer discretion is advised please!</b>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>It was dark...</em>
  <em>
    <br/>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Where was he...?</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Why the hell was it so cold...?</em>
</p><p> </p><p>The migraine that awaited the teen as he slowly opened his eyes almost made him want to pass out again. Despite that, he forced his eyes open. Tired champagne stared out into blank darkness as John grew aware of his surroundings.</p><p>John gave a small groan when he tugged at his wrists only to find them being held in place by the thick, metallic brace bolted to the furniture.</p><p>He was <em>still</em> clamped down to this table...?</p><p>Damn...and here he'd thought he'd at least be able to sleep back in his cell.</p><p>The guards had taken him back for brief amounts of time, but other than that, he had been stuck to this table.</p><p>Guess they got sick and tired of all his fighting and convinced Keon to just let him stay.</p><p>It was no skin off anyone's back as long as he was present for when Keon wanted him.</p><p>John stared out into the empty room, his thoughts starting to get the best of him.</p><p>How long had he been stuck here for now?</p><p>He couldn't remember. Time seemed to blend together in a distorted fashion at this strange place.</p><p>Everything blurred together from Keon's mind sessions to Marcella's tactics.</p><p>The man would constantly replay his fights with the royals, slowly chipping him down. John had started to take on the idea that it was his fault. Though, the idea that Arlo had a huge hand to play in this was still fresh in his mind. But of course, Keon didn't care. It was still John's fault to him.</p><p>Honestly, John was glad the cop hadn't gotten to his memories surrounding <b><em>her</em></b> yet, but he knew it was only a matter of time.</p><p>As for Marcella, John had found out she was a master of interrogation. The teen was constantly asked questions he didn't know the answers to, questions that were bizarre or seemed wildly out of context. But that didn't matter to her. Even though his answers weren't exact, Marcella still seemed to find something of use when asking John about 'UnOrdinary.'</p><p>The teen wasn't able to hold back information regarding the book, the woman becoming particularly violent when the subject was brought up.</p><p>It was no use holding back so John found himself telling her about the infamous book.</p><p>But no matter the cost, he kept the topic away from his dad. Even when the woman asked about the powerless man directly, John refused to answer, causing the woman to snap on him.</p><p>He remembered waking up on the floor after that incident. He was in too much pain at the time to feel anything, physically and mentally.</p><p>But as time wore on, John found himself slowly dissolving into his inner psyche.</p><p>The voices in his mind had started up again, their words playing out in his head when his guard was down.</p><p>'<em>Leech</em>...<em>Cripple</em>...<em>Useless</em>...' they would whisper. No matter what he did to drown them out, it was never enough.</p><p>John rested his head against his cuffs, unable to hold his head up. He felt the dull ache drain out into a familiar emotion.</p><p>He found himself switching between two states quite often; complete numbness and pure rage. There was no in between.</p><p>It was like flicking a light switch. One second, he'd feel nothing and the next, he'd feel <em>everything</em>.</p><p>This time, John couldn't help the anger that began pulsing through him like poison.</p><p>'Why...?' he wondered.</p><p>John bit his lip, flinching as he tasted the metallic liquid that had dried to his lips. He wanted to scream, to do something to let this unpleasant emotion free.</p><p>But he couldn't.</p><p>Instead, all John could do was sit there as his anger ate him away.</p><p>'WHY?!'</p><p>John violently yanked at his wrists which had now begun to bruise. His anger was practically boiling within him as his thoughts ran wild. 'F*ck you Arlo...! F*ck you and everything you stand for! If it wasn't for you and your obsessive bullsh*t, I wouldn't be stuck here <em>again! </em>You and your lackeys did NOTHING worthwhile when you all had your titles yet you expect me to fix your sh*t the second I'm forced back into a position I don't want?!'</p><p>John continued to tug at his restraints. 'I didn't want to be king! I didn't want the stupid throne! So why?! Why does this keep happening?! Why am <em>I</em> always the one who somehow f*cks up even though I did everything everyone else told me to do?!'</p><p>Tears glide down his cheeks. His anger ebbed away into another emotion, one he rarely tried to address. 'Why is it whenever I try to fix sh*t, nothing ever works...?'</p><p>John tried...he really did try.</p><p>He came to Wellston to start over, to be a better person than he was before. He laid low, refrained from using his powers, even tried to help others. It sucked that he got sent to the infirmary on a daily basis, but he would've rather taken that over becoming a <b><em>monster</em></b> again.</p><p>That's when he met her...</p><p>John never knew just how much he could connect with a person.</p><p>Meeting Seraphina had been a blessing in disguise. For the first time in years, he was genuinely happy with her.</p><p>But what use was all of that now? It didn't matter how close they were or had been.</p><p>All she sees him now is this tyrant, this freak.</p><p>Just like <em><b>Claire</b></em><em>...</em><br/><br/></p><p>John grit his teeth as memories of the duel braided girl flashed to mind.</p><p>He couldn't even begin to describe how much he <b>despised </b>the greenette.</p><p>The ravenette loathed her. He hated that he couldn't sleep at night thanks to her.</p><p>He couldn't stand how his flashbacks revolved around their final confrontation and how even when people tried to help him, it was always <b>her </b>waiting there for him.</p><p>Claire had practically become John's shadow. He would never really take notice of the girl, knowing she was still there, but when he finally did see her, he wanted to run away from it like a confused child.</p><p>But no matter how much he ran, no matter where he hid, she was always with him.</p><p>With Seraphina, she helped him focus. She helped him realize that he shouldn't be so fixated on something he can't control anymore.</p><p>But now that focus was gone. Now, he was being engulfed by his shadows again.</p><p>John was snapped from his thoughts as he heard a noise. The door clicked and John hissed in pain upon the room being flooded with light.</p><p>The teen narrowed his eyes as he looked up, spotting a familiar figure. The door remained open behind him as he walked over, pulling up a chair across from the teen. "Have a good nap John?"</p><p>Johns voice was laced with venom as he spoke. "F*ck off Keon..."</p><p>The man narrowed his eyes. "And here I thought you would be in a better mood."</p><p>John kept his eyes trained on the man. "What are you here for now? To interrogate me? To torture me?"</p><p>The man only huffed, leaning forward as he rested his elbows on his knees. "Neither. I'm just here to talk John."</p><p>The ravenette narrowed his eyes. 'Bullsh*t. You're <em>never</em> just here to talk.'</p><p>Keon went on. "Even though you don't see eye to eye with us, you're still a valuable asset. I'll admit, my comment about your ability the other day was out of line. You do have a rare gift. The problem is, you don't know how to properly use it."</p><p>John clenched his fists, his nails digging into his palms. "...where are you going with this?"</p><p>The cop stood up. "We would like you to help us with some things. Some colleagues of ours need someone with your skill set to help them."</p><p>John narrowed his eyes, his tone blunt. "I already told you. No, I won't help you. If you think I'll ever trust you people, you're f*cking wrong."</p><p>Keon's face went serious as he leaned towards John. "You don't even know who we are John."</p><p>John snapped his head up. "OH SHUT THE HELL UP KEON! I'm not going to help you! Don't think for a second I haven't pieced together who you people are! Between the comments I've heard from the guards and Marcella's interrogation questions... you're working with EMBER, aren't you?"</p><p>The cop remained silent as he continued. "You people are nothing but cowards and murderers. I may be messed up, but you people are a hundred times <em><b>worse</b></em> than me!"</p><p>Keon stared him down. "Even if we are as dangerous as you claim, what makes <em>you</em> any different? You may just be a kid, but what have you done that's any better?"</p><p>John flinched and tugged at his wrists as Keon placed a hand on his head, bringing back the painful memories.</p><p>"Let's take a look, shall we?"</p><p>..................................</p><p>
  <em>John stood over Claire, everyone else around them beaten and bruised. The greenette sat on her knees as she kept her gaze to the ground.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>She had been defeated.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Her plan failed.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>She tried so desperately to get through to John, but it was all for nothing.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The ravenette smirked, telling her the all too familiar words of how she should've known she could never beat him, how she knew he would rise to the top.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>When she glared up at him, John snapped in partial confusion. "Isn't that why you helped me in the first place? So that you could use me to further yourself?"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>When she said nothing, John continued. "Well, you succeeded, I played right into your hands. What more could you want?"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Claire remained silent before John's anger rolled over, grabbing the greenette as he screamed in her face, wanting to know why she would do this to him, why she would turn on him like this.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>She eventually pushed him away, slapping him across the face.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"TAKE A GOOD LOOK AT WHAT YOU'VE BECOME!"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The memory flashed from him standing in front of Claire to glaring down at a defeated blonde king stuck under his foot.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Claire appeared once again.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"YOU'RE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR REASONS TO HURT!"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The scene faded to John hovering over </em>
  <em>Juni's</em>
  <em> unconscious body, bloody and beaten to a pulp.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"YOU'RE SO CONCEITED!"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The teen held Arlo up as he gripped his collar. "For f*cks sake Arlo! I defeated your *ss, didn't I?! That makes me superior to you!"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"YOU DON'T CARE ABOUT ANYONE BUT YOURSELF!"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The ravenette punched </em>
  <em>Adrion</em>
  <em> across the face, grabbing his shirt. "Don't you </em>
  <em>
    <b>DARE</b>
  </em>
  <em> tell me what to do!" Adrion looked at him in shock, surprised that his best friend had just attacked him like this.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"YOU TYRANT!"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>He watched as the royals standing around him panicked, trying to figure out a way to defeat him but already knowing they had no chance of beating him.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"YOU HYPOCRITE!"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>John was standing beside Seraphina as he leaned back against the couch, telling her how the book she held in her hands helped showed people that everyone has something of value.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"ALL THIS STRENGTH YOU HAVE NOW...YOU DON'T DESERVE </em>
  <em>
    <b>ANY</b>
  </em>
  <em> OF IT!"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The teen peered down at Zeke who was hunched over on the ground, cowering and begging before John to be let go.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"I </em>
  <em>
    <b>NEVER</b>
  </em>
  <em> SHOULD HAVE HELPED YOU!"</em>
</p><p><em>John looked over as he sat nestled between Claire and</em> <em>Adrion</em><em>, going through book after book on abilities.</em></p><p>
  <em>"I WISH </em>
  <em>I'D</em>
  
  <em>
    <b>NEVER</b>
  </em>
  <em> MET YOU!"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Claire knelt before him, a warm smile on her face. "Here, let me help you." Holding her hand out to the defeated teen, John looked up at her with curiosity, a bubble of warmth flooding him as he took her hand and stood back on his feet.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>John yelled out, feeling tears stream down his face. "</em>
  <em>
    <b>SHUT UP!</b>
  </em>
  <em>"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Claire glared at him, tears also running down her face. "MAKE ME! GO AHEAD AND BEAT ME UP LIKE YOU DO WITH EVERYONE ELSE!"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>John grabbed her collar, arm reeled back. "</em>
  <em>
    <b>I SAID: SHUT THE F*CK UP!</b>
  </em>
  <em>"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Both teens stared at each other, refusing to back down.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Hate coursed through the two of them as John brought down his final blow upon her.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>B</em>
  <em>ut hers would scar him for the rest of his life.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <b>"</b>
  </em>
  <em>
    <b>Monster.</b>
  </em>
  <em>
    <b>"</b>
  </em>
</p><p>.......................................</p><p>Johns head fell down as the cop let go, watching as the teen tried to hide his face.</p><p>The ravenette had tears in his eyes, trying to hold himself back from crying.</p><p>Keon leaned back in his seat, crossing his arms. "Now...tell me, what makes you so different from us?"</p><p>John said nothing, keeping his head down.</p><p>Seeing those memories again...it was like reopening a scar. John thought he could just forget about it and move on. But, Keon insisted on driving that knife in and making sure it hurt.</p><p>The man sighed as he nodded before standing up. "That's what I thought. You know John, unlike you, we don't just go around targeting whoever we want. We're at least civil in that stance. You however, go after whoever gets in your way without a care. You attack them when they disagree with you and brutalize them over the smallest of things."</p><p>John peered up slightly, his voice cracking a bit. "You people are exactly the same...you kill 'superheros' or rather vigilantes. They're people who get in your way yet you murder them...unlike you, I don't <b><em>kill</em></b> people to further myself...!"</p><p>Keon snapped his head over and lifted John's head up, earning a wince of pain from him. "You know damn well why we do it! They're a nuisance to society! All they do is cause havock wherever they go. We're doing the world a favor by taking care of them."</p><p>John stared at him, his voice seething as he talked through gritted teeth. "A favor?! All you've done is torture and kill people!"</p><p>Keon rolled his eyes. "Well, <em>we</em> don't make people suffer. At least we make their deaths quick."</p><p>The teen only gave a hallow chuckle, his tone empty. "Letting them rot out in side streets, torn to bits and branded like livestock? Sure...because that's what you call 'quick and painless.'" Keon narrowed his eyes as he punched the teen. John groaned as his face flared up with pain. He forced his eyes back open as he looked to the cop.</p><p>"Shut up you stupid brat! Have you learned nothing?! Unlike you, we don't go <em>looking</em> for reasons to hurt people. We do this to protect others, to give them a better life." Keon narrowed his eyes as John looked back at him.</p><p>Johns eyes held nothing within them as he stared at the man in front of him. "So...your version of protecting others...is by killing people? People who just want to help...? People who see flaws in this stupid system...? People who have taken matters into their own hands because you couldn't give two sh*ts about them...? Yeah, seems like you guys <em>really</em> care."</p><p>The cops eyes went wide before he reeled back his fist and punched the teen once more. John yelped as he slumped back down, his head resting on the table. He looked up through his tangled hair at the man, not caring if he was punched again.</p><p>John knew he was no saint. He knew he was a <b><em>monster</em></b>.</p><p>But he wasn't going to listen to Keon preach to him when he and his co-workers were going out and murdering high tiers on the streets.</p><p>John stared at the man with dulled eyes as Keon leaned down. "Like you care about anyone John? Need I remind you of someone who lost everything because of you?"</p><p>The teens eyes went wide as Keon gripped his head again.</p><p>John could do nothing as the man's eyes flickered to life again, his aura pulsing around him.</p><p>"Or would you rather I show you?"</p><p>John squeezed his eyes shut as the memories flickered to life.</p><p>.................................</p><p>
  <em>John leaned against the couch as he looked over, his friend looking at the cover of the book. "Ah! Your dad is the infamous W. H. Doe!"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The ravenette raised an eyebrow. "Yeah...? I wouldn't call him 'infamous' though..."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The scene seemed to flicker slightly as John stood up straight, crossing his arms. "They're not delusional." The magenta haired girl raised an eyebrow as she let him speak.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"The reason why all these people are stepping up is because they've realized the message this book delivers." The girls eyebrows went up as John closed his eyes.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Our world is flawed Sera. We should be using our powers to bring peace and balance." John opened his eyes as the scene flickered again.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Seraphina smirked slightly. "You're starting to sound like those vigilantes."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The ravenette sighed. "Ah, nevermind. It's probably best if you just read it for yourself."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Seraphina looked over as a small smile pulled at the corners of her lips. "Guess I'll be borrowing this then."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>..................</em>
</p><p>
  <em>John rushed outside as he saw the magenta haired girl standing by the gate, her luggage packed neatly next to her.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Sera!" He grew confused when he saw her suitcase in her hand. "What's the luggage for?"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The girl sighed, fixing a loose strand of her extension. "I have a flight home in two hours. Elaine ratted me out after all. They decided to send me home for a month."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>John felt his jaw drop. "What?! That's insane!"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>All of a sudden, the image flicked and John was now holding the girl by her shoulders. "Sera! Stop talking about it like it's nothing! What if you had been found out? Your punishment would've been so severe, not even your reputation or the headmaster would've saved you." John sighed, his shoulders drooping a bit.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"You should've just told them the truth...that the book was mine to begin with." He looked back at the girl, guilt running through his mind.</em>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <em>"</em>
  </b>
  <b>
    <em>This whole thing started because of me...</em>
  </b>
  <b>
    <em>"</em>
  </b>
</p><p>..................</p><p>
  <em>The ravenette huffed as he walked up to his </em>
  <em>apartment</em>
  <em> door, ready to help Seraphina move back into the dorms.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>His hand hand hovered over the handle, freezing at the sight of crimson staining the metal.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>He raised an eyebrow as he pushed open the door, walking in. "Hey Sera, I'm back-"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The ravenette froze as he took notice of the figure laying on the floor. Time seemed to freeze as he stood in shock, taking notice of her collapsed frame on the floor, knife and phone in hand.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Se-" He felt his voice crack as his shock wore off, terror running through him.</em>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <em>"SERA?!"</em>
  </b>
</p><p>..................</p><p>
  <em>John knelt next to the girl who now stared at the alarm clock in her hands as if it had just grown legs and tried to walk.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Her hands shook as the device continued to blink. "I...I can't activate my ability...!"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Johns eyes went wide in shock. "What?!"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Seraphina shook her head. "I've been trying this whole time and nothing...!" She dropped the alarm clock on the floor. "What am I supposed to-?!"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>John stopped her, placing a hand on her shoulder.</em>
  <em> "Calm down. It's going to be ok."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>..................</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Seraphina sat on the cot as John took the seat in front of her.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>He immediately stood up when he saw the tears in her eyes, threatening to spill over. "Sera? No...please don't...it'll be back soon. It just needs more time."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The scene violently flickered as Sera now looked up at John.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"HOW LONG THEN?!" Tears flooded down her face as she looked at John, wanting nothing more than the answers she was looking for.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"How much longer am I supposed to wait?! Months?! Years?! You know, every night I go to sleep, thinking about waking up with my ability back, about things returning </em>
  <em>to the way they were!" Tears streamed down her face as John practically saw her heart break.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"And </em>
  <b>
    <em>every</em>
  </b>
  <em> morning, I wake up with my hopes crushed over and over again!"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>John stood there in stunned shock, not knowing what to do.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>..................</em>
</p><p>
  <em>John and Seraphina stood face to face in the empty classroom.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The air was thick with tension.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>John felt like the entire world had just shattered around him. "I </em>
  <b>
    <em>trusted</em>
  </b>
  <em> you! And you went </em>
  <b>
    <em>behind my back</em>
  </b>
  <em> to dig up dirt on me!"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Seraphina looked up at him, tears </em>
  <em>flooding her eyes. "Ignoring you was the least I could've done."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The room violently flickered once more as she stared at him with burning blue irises. "You've thrown the school into a panic! You've hurt so many students! You're repeating everything you did at New Bostin! WAKE UP JOHN! IT'S TIME TO STOP!"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Everything broke into a fine static as all John could see was Seraphina standing there, almost seeming to hover above him. "Do you know who has been suffering the <b>most</b> from this whole Joker fiasco?"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>She jabbed a thumb at herself as she yelled at him. "<b>US! </b>Low tiers and Mid tiers! The same people you <b>wanted</b> to help!"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The room faded away into a void as Seraphina yanked her arm away from him, striking him across the face as she meshed with Claire. "<b>I SAID LET GO!</b>"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The image of her crumbled away as John was left in darkness, finding it difficult to breathe. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>.................................<br/></em>
</p><p>John gasped for air. He felt like he had just been yanked out of water as he coughed and gasped.</p><p>He couldn't hear anything besides a faint ringing in his ears and he felt like everything was moving too slow. Looking up through blurry vision, three adults stood over him. He recognized Keon and Orion, one of the guards, but the third one was new; a woman. She was currently yelling and scolding Keon for something.</p><p>John eventually managed to hear what they were saying.</p><p>The mystery woman placed her hands on her hips. "What the hell Keon?! I said you could wear the kid down and break him, not send him into f*cking shock! We need him <em>alive</em> you idiot!" The man raised his hands slightly in defense. "I'm sorry. I wasn't expecting him to have such a bad reaction to the second session."</p><p>The woman sighed. "Well, it's obvious we now know what makes him tick."</p><p>John felt his body shake, not able to stop the salty liquid dripping down his face. The three adults looked at him as he tried to figure out who this mystery woman was. </p><p>She walked over to him, hat covering her head as she watched him with flaming eyes. The rest of her face was covered by a mask. "That's enough for today Keon. We're not getting anything out of him while he's like this."</p><p>The teen saw the man nod as John shut his eyes again, unable to stay awake.</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Chapter 21: end.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0024"><h2>24. Search</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Seraphina and Remi sat together in the magenta girls dorm room.</p><p>They had pushed away her desk chair and we're currently going through Remi's papers as they sat on the ground.</p><p>When Sera had asked the pinkette to help her search for John, this wasn't what she had in mind.</p><p>Remi had quite literally brought over an entire bulletin board filled with red string and photos laid over a map of the general Wellston area.</p><p>She had used it to track down EMBER and gain insight on their whereabouts.</p><p>But now, she had repurposed it to help them find the ravenette.</p><p>Their plan so far was to visit the places John had been to frequently and ask around. He couldn't resist boba tea and as much as he hated the mall, it had become a habit for him to stop by an arcade shop the two of them would visit.</p><p>Then of course, there was also the supermarket (for obvious reasons) and a small vendor in the park who sells smoothies in the spring, ice cream in the summer and hot chocolate/coffee in the fall. They weren't open during the winter so if Sera and Remi wanted to talk to the burly man, they'd have to do it now.</p><p>If John had gone to any of these places before the incident, he would've interacted with someone there.</p><p>Maybe they could give them clues to see if John had been acting abnormal in those days following up to the fire or if there were some strange things happening.</p><p>They knew it was a long shot, but, it couldn't hurt to try and retrace their steps. If someone had seen <em>anything</em>,it might lead them a step closer to John.</p><p>Remi pinned another tack to Woaba Boba.</p><p>Seraphina sighed as the pinkette looked to her. "We would always go there on Tuesdays and weekends to grab a drink. There's a lady there named Aria who typically takes our orders."</p><p>Remi nodded as she grabbed a note pad, a pen in her hand. "Can you describe her to me so we know who to find?"</p><p>The magenta haired girl nodded as she shut her eyes in recollection. "She's around mid height. Short lilac hair in a bob cut with fringe bangs and she has rose colored eyes."</p><p>Remi finished writing down the description and soon stuck it to the board next to the tack.</p><p>She huffed as she wiped her brow. "There. We can start with the mall and Woaba Boba for now. I would say the school but we can't have students knowing just yet. Not until Keene addresses things first with...<em>the authorities.</em>"</p><p>Sera raised an eyebrow at Remi's sudden change in demeanor as she crossed her legs. The pinkette had been acting strange since arriving. She seemed almost tense and very jumpy which wasn't like her.</p><p>The magenta haired girl thought nothing of it until now. "Remi, are you alright? You've been acting kinda jittery ever since you got here."</p><p>Remi didn't know what to say as she let her thoughts run. 'Darn it! I don't know if I can tell her...Keene said to keep quiet about all of this. But I want to tell her...I don't want to keep secrets from her like Rei and Blyke did with me.'</p><p>The queen bit her lip, fiddling with her fingers. 'Out of everyone here, she's the most at risk. She should know to keep her guard up- No! You can't Remi! You'll only put a bigger target on her back! She may be at risk, but if the authorities or EMBER catch on, she won't be able to protect herself.'</p><p>Remi peered over at the girl who sat there waiting for an answer. 'Ok, if need be, I'll tell her...just not right now.'</p><p>She plastered a smile on her face as she chuckled slightly. "Don't worry about me Seraphina. I'm just...still a little emotional over the safe house closing. I'll be ok. I just need some time."</p><p>The girl only raised an eyebrow but shrugged, taking her word for it.</p><p>"Alright." She stood up as she grabbed her coat and some shoes, already dressed in long pants and a sweater. "Where do you want to stop by first?"</p><p>Remi looked through her list of people and places as she slipped on her shoes again. "Let's see...maybe Woaba Boba? You did say he goes there often."</p><p>Seraphina nodded as she and Remi headed out.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>The bell overhead chimed as the two girls walked in, shaking themselves out from the cold weather.</p><p>With it being the middle of the week, business was slow. Seraphina led Remi over to her usual table, taking off her jacket as she sat by the window.</p><p>Remi looked down at the menu. "What do you think we should get?" The girl across from her raised an eyebrow. "Remi, we're here to ask questions, not grab a drink."</p><p>The pinkette nodded her head slightly. "Oh...right. Sorry." Seraphina shut her eyes with a sigh. "Maybe another time Remi."</p><p>The two girls looked up as a certain woman walked over. "Hello! My name is Aria! I'll be your waitress for today."</p><p>Her eyes caught on to Seraphina, a warm smile adorning her face. "Oh, hello again! It's been awhile since I've last seen you here."</p><p>She gave a small nod as Aria pulled out a pen and note pad. "So what can I get for you two toda-?"</p><p>Seraphina placed a hand on the pad to gently push it down. "Actually Aria, we wanted to talk to you. We have some questions we need to ask you. Do you have some time?"</p><p>The woman raised an eyebrow, obviously confused about this. "Uhmmm..."</p><p>Remi decided to step in. "Please. It's important. It won't take much of your time."</p><p>The woman looked back and forth slightly. "...make it quick please. I can't let my boss think I'm slacking on the job."</p><p>The pinkette nodded as she looked to Seraphina who spoke. "Aria, you know the the guy I come here with often?"</p><p>Aria raised an eyebrow as she pointed to her hair with her pen. "The boy with greasy black hair? Yeah, I know him."</p><p>Remi kept her voice low. "When was the last time he was here?" Aria raised an eyebrow but thought for a minute. "Let's see...last I saw him, he was here on Saturday about a week and a half ago maybe?"</p><p>Seraphina thought for a minute. 'So just a day before the fire...' She looked back to Remi as she continued. "Ok. And when he was here, did anything seem off about him?"</p><p>The lilac server shook her head. "Not really. I mean, besides the fact he looked quite tired, there was nothing out of the ordinary."</p><p>Remi crossed her arms. "Did you happen to see anyone with him or someone kinda...ya know...stalking him while he was here?"</p><p>Once again, Aria shook her head. "No...he normally just sits here and looks out the window before paying and leaving. As for others, no, there hasn't been any shady figures coming in here."</p><p>Blue eyes looked to amber eyes and both knew this wasn't resulting anything to help them. Seraphina sighed. "Alright...thank you Aria."</p><p>The waitress nodded before leaning over, her voice low. "If I may ask...? Is everything alright with him? He hasn't been here in awhile."</p><p>Seraphina was about to answer to when Remi beat her to it. "Yeah. We're only asking because the last time he was around here, he said he felt like he was being followed so we're trying to see if we can track them down. But don't worry, he's fine. Just, with everything that's been happening lately, he just wants to be careful."</p><p>Aria visibly relaxed. "Oh, I didn't know he was being followed. We usually keep security cameras on at night to prevent intruders. If he was feeling unsafe, he should've come to us to help file a report to the authorities. Well, it's good to know he's ok. If that's all, I need to get back to work."</p><p>The pinkette nodded and waved to Aria's retreating form as Seraphina turned back to look at her. "What was that all about Remi? Why didn't you let me tell her? She would've been able to help us keep an eye out for him."</p><p>Remi looked from side to side before leaning forward in the booth slightly. "Seraphina, we can't...not with everything that's happened so far. If we told her, who's to say she won't tell other people? Or worse: we get her into trouble with the culprits. The people who...have John...they're not weak. They know what they're doing. And my guess is, they know people are going to look for him and try to cover up their tracks."</p><p>The magenta haired girl looked down as Remi continued. "The less people who know about this, the better."</p><p>Seraphina sighed, knowing the pinkette was right. There was no way she would've been able to keep this a secret from the rest of the royals as they would've found out eventually.</p><p>But right now, they had to keep everyone else out of this if they wanted to get to John.</p><p>Eventually, once Remi was done crossing off her list, they moved on to Kovoro mall. There were a few places they could check amoung the various stores and shops.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>Remi looked desperately at the park vendor. "Please I-...I need you to help us."</p><p>The tangerine haired man huffed. "Look girly, I haven't seen your little friend in months! He hasn't come by since before the leaves were still on the trees. Now, either order something or leave. You're holdin' up the line!"</p><p>The pinkette looked behind her to see the large group waiting behind her. She sighed as she took out her wallet, paying for two hot chocolates.</p><p>Seraphina sat a bit away on a nearby bench, head in her hands. The two had gone to store after store asking about the ravenette and <em><b>nothing</b></em>.</p><p>The magenta haired girl raised her gaze as Remi stopped on front of her, holding out a cup. "Here. I figured you could use something to warm you up."</p><p>Seraphina nodded in thanks as she took the drink. "Did he say <em>anything</em> of use?"</p><p>Remi only looked down as she sat down next to the girl. She sighed, knowing the both of them felt like this was a huge waste of time. "No...he hasn't seen John since before fall set in..."</p><p>Seraphina sat back with a huff. "Just great...! We checked everywhere we could think of and we're not a single step closer to finding him!"</p><p>The pinkette took a sip of her drink as Sera sighed. "What are we doing Remi...? What progress have we even made?"</p><p>Remi ran a hand over her face. Honestly, she didn't know. They had spent the entire afternoon looking around, trying so find some sort of clue.</p><p>And yet, nothing.</p><p>The only thing they were sure of, was that whatever happened to John, all occured on Monday.</p><p>Remi leaned back on the bench, looking up at the cloudy sky. "Well, we now know that whoever has John, wasn't tracking him prior to what happened."</p><p>Seraphina looked to her. "So, you're saying they just randomly grabbed him?"</p><p>Remi shook her head. "No. What I'm saying is that these people must've known who he was prior to all of this." She sat up as she looked to the magenta haired girl. "I remember how when Isen, Blyke and I were doing that...'thing' you know about...we researched people to find, looking for their names, jobs, the towns they lived in. If these people didn't know anything about John, <em>someone</em> would've been seen tailing him or asking about him."</p><p>Seraphina thought for a minute. "That, or they're just more stealthy than you guys were. You were <em>intentionally</em> trying to catch their attention. Obviously if these people were wanting to lay low, they wouldn't give themselves away that easily."</p><p>The pinkette sighed and slumped her shoulders as she nodded. Seraphina took another sip as she thought. "But there's one thing I don't get..."</p><p>Remi raised an eyebrow. "Hm?"</p><p>Seraphina looked over. "Johns passive. It allows him to sense when others have their abilities activated. It's how he knew we were being followed that night we left the vendor at the mall. Obviously, if he was being tailed, John would've sensed their aura, no matter what stealth ability they were using. The only thing I can think of is that..."</p><p>Her eyes went wide as she dropped her cup. Remi jumped slightly. "Seraphina?! Are you alright?!"</p><p>Seraphina stood up as she looked down at her. "Remi, I think I know some people who could help us."</p><p>The pinkette raised an eyebrow as she stood up, Sera cleaning up the cup and quickly throwing it out. "What? Do you think they might know something?"</p><p>The magenta haired girl nodded her head as she rushed out of the park, Remi right on her tail.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>Arlo and Elaine stood inside of the main entrance to the girls dorms, waiting for the other two to show up. Arlo looked down at his phone. "What is taking them so long?"</p><p>Elaine shrugged. "They said they were coming from the park and it's pretty far from here."</p><p>The blonde sighed. "This better be important..."</p><p>The two looked up as the girls of the hour burst through the door, hands on their knees and bright red from running in the cold. Remi huffed. "S-sorry to keep you waiting! T-there was a broken crossing light..."</p><p>Arlo opened his mouth but Elaine spoke first. "I-its ok Remi! Really. But could you tell us what's going on and why you called us here?"</p><p>Seraphina straightened herself up once she regained her breath. "Arlo, Elaine, you two were the only other ones besides John who were there the night the invaders broke in, right?"</p><p>The two raised an eyebrow each, but nodded their heads.</p><p>She looked at them, her eyes serious. "Arlo, I know you've already went over what happened, but I need you two to go over every. single. detail. of what happened that night."</p><p>Arlo looked at her in bewilderment. "Everything?"</p><p>The two girls nodded.</p><p>Arlo sighed before shutting his eyes, recalling the event. "Well, after Elaine had finished healing you, John took you to his room so you could rest while Elaine and I stayed to help in case something else happened. We ended up falling asleep on the couch for the night as we were all tired." He looked to the bluette who nodded.</p><p>"Eventually, I heard some rustling and woke up to find a man about to stab Arlo. Everything kinda happened in a blur but I stopped the knife, Arlo activated his ability and pinned down the assailant. I tried to heal myself but my ability was barely working." She looked back to Arlo who looked at the two.</p><p>"After that, John came out, p*ssed that we woke him up, but he eventually saw what was going on. When I explained we caught the culprit though...John seemed a bit shaken up. Don't know why though." He saw Remi and Seraphina look to one another, their eyebrows going up as they let Arlo continue.</p><p>"Anyways, someone broke in, tried taking you and John went after them. I put a barrier around them and the man who had you held a knife to your throat, wanting me to take down the barrier." Elaine nodded. "John said to take it down...something about how his ability was messed up."</p><p>Seraphina's eyes went wide as she looked to the pinkette. "Do you think...?"</p><p>Remi nodded slightly. "It very well could be them..."</p><p>Arlo raised an eyebrow. "Ok, what are you two going on about? And what does this have to do with whatever you guys are doing?"</p><p>Remi looked to the blonde and the bluette. "Well...we think the same people who tried to kidnap Seraphina, are the ones who took John."</p><p>Arlo's eyes went wide. "What?! You can't be serious...!" Elaine looked just shocked. "B-But how's that possible?!"</p><p>Seraphina looked at the two. "Who else could it be? Who else could have the ability to subdue <b>John</b> of all people? You all said it yourself: everyone's abilities were dampened that night and out of the three of you, it seems that John had the most difficulty since his ability is dependent on copying others. And if he has trouble sensing abilities or copies weaker ones, he wouldn't stand as high of a chance."</p><p>The blonde looked down, a finger and thumb on his chin as he thought about it. "You...could be right..."</p><p>Seraphina nodded. "The only reason I managed to get away from those psychos was because I got my hand on a knife and I had already taken down three people. We know these people have the numbers. It's safe to assume that if they could almost take me down, they could take John down..."</p><p>Remi crossed her arms. "Then I think we finally have our culprits. Now the only question is figuring out where they are."</p><p>Arlo crossed his arms. "Funny you mention that. I called my aunt Valerie to help us with this. She said she would meet us at the royal cafe this weekend. I told her I would be bringing you two along."</p><p>Remi's eyes went wide. "Wait, your aunt works for the authorities, right?" He nodded as Remi narrowed her eyes. "And she won't let this leak out to the public, right?"</p><p>Again, the blonde nodded. "She doesn't know what's going on yet, but I can assure you, she won't let this out."</p><p>Remi looked away.</p><p>She didn't trust the authorities a single bit. Not after what happened with Rei and after everything that's been going on in low tier districts. And especially after Keene's note! What if they caught on and made things worse? They just couldn't be trusted!</p><p>But...this wasn't about her.</p><p>This was about helping Seraphina find John.</p><p>Remi couldn't let her personal feelings get in the way of something this important.</p><p>As much as she held a grudge against those people and wanted to find whatever reason she could for hating them, right now they needed all the help they could get.</p><p>But there was also the note...</p><p>
  <em>-ember is watching us...the authorities are taking over the school...Wellston isn't safe anymore.-</em>
</p><p>Remi wasn't going to dismiss Keene's warning. Even though they needed the authorities help, they couldn't let their guard down for a second. The minute things start getting suspicious with Valerie, she'll grab the others and leave.</p><p>The pinkette looked to Seraphina. "Well, what do you think?" The magenta haired girl looked away slightly, unsure.</p><p>Truth be told, she didn't really believe in the authorities. Not after waiting months for her test results. She knew Remi didn't trust them to an extent either.</p><p>But, she did trust Arlo's judgement. The blonde may be an *sshole, but he had a natural talent for recognizing others strengths whether they knew it or not.</p><p>If he felt his aunt of all people could potentially help them, then they had to give it a shot.</p><p>Seraphina eventually nodded, letting out a breath she didn't know she was holding. "Ok. We'll go. I have some questions myself regarding my test result for my ability."</p><p>Arlo nodded in return. "Fair enough. I also have some questions about something as well. Questions that I think Remi wants to ask as well."</p><p>The pinkette's eyes widened a bit, knowing what Arlo was referring to before she gave a small nod to the blonde.</p><p>The three of them wanted answers.</p><p>They could only hope that Valerie had the answers they were looking for.</p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Chapter 22: end.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0025"><h2>25. Divided</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>*WARNING*: This chapter discusses themes of emotional trauma as well as abuse of power. Viewer discretion is advised please!</b>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Friday.</p><p>A day Isen couldn't get enough of.</p><p>He was thrilled to finally hear the bell ring and rush out of his classroom. The students of Wellston also poured out into the narrow halls, happy to finally be able to get up and stretch their tired legs.</p><p>The weekend sounded great to everyone right now as the week had been nothing but stressful.</p><p>Unfortunately, it would have to wait.</p><p>Isen stopped in the hallway as he saw a crowd forming.</p><p>He pushed to through and saw two students being backed into a wall by an adult. The man had dark grey hair combed over his head and burning orange eyes. The two young boys looked terrified as they cowered in fear of the man who appeared to be yelling in their faces.</p><p>The orange haired teen decided to get closer, his curiosity peaking him.</p><p>His eyes widened the more he heard of the conversation, the man getting progressively more violent. "How blind can you brats get?! Why can't any of you low tiers do anything by yourselves?! Even now, you're hiding behind your friend instead of facing me!"</p><p>A mid tier with wavy light red hair and slate irises, whom Isen recognized as Rehan, shrunk down as his younger friend cowered in pure terror behind him. While Rehan was a sophomore, his friend Milo was a freshman.</p><p>From what Isen could hear from whispering students, the ocean haired low tier had accidentally bumped into the man, dropping his lunch on the floor as the duo walked.</p><p>The man had gone ballistic on the two and now, the mid tier was trying to shield Milo from his wrath.</p><p>Rehan held his hands up, trying to ease the situation. "Sir, please! Milo would never try to bother anyone! He didn't mean to bump into you-" The teen turned his face away as the man got closer, yelling in his face.</p><p>"I don't care you stupid mid tier! Your friend is nothing but a pest and should be dealt with accordingly! Now, get out of my damn way!" Milo was almost in tears now, trying to tell Rehan to stop and leave.</p><p>Milo didn't want him to suffer because of his mistake.</p><p>But, the mid tier refused to move, still keeping himself firmly between the towering man and his friend. "N-No."</p><p>Rehan yelped as the man grabbed his collar. "I said GET OUT OF MY DAMN WAY!"</p><p>Milo cried out to the teen as the man flung him to the side like a rag doll. The mid tier didn't even shout as he harshly smacked against the lockers and slumped to the floor, unmoving.</p><p>Isen's eyes went wide before they narrowed in rage. He was practically seeing red at this point. These two were just <em>kids!</em> They didn't have the strength or the will to fight off against an adult!</p><p>He pushed through the crowd and ran forward, pushing the adult away from the freshman and the unconscious mid tier.</p><p>Isen was shaking with anger, steam practically coming out of his ears as he grabbed the man's shirt collar, yanking him up.</p><p>"How DARE you! Have you no f*cking shame?! They're just kids! They can't and won't fight back against you! What could you possibly have to gain from hurting a kid and his friend who made a harmless mistake?!"</p><p>He let the vile man go, shoving him back. "You sick excuse for an adult! Stop acting like a f*cking toddler and actually do something useful with yourself!" The man looked over to him as he straightened up, orange eyes beginning to glow.</p><p>Isen's own eyes went wide as he powered up his own ability, trying to move out of the way as he saw the man swing at him. "Why can't you useless kids just shut the hell up?!"</p><p>He ducked under the man's fist but felt a pain in his stomach. He looked down to see what appeared to be a reflected version of the man's fist. The teen coughed as he stumbled.</p><p>Isen narrowed his eyes as he ducked under another swing, grabbing the man's arm and landing a kick to his ribs. The man was barely fazed as he stumbled back before rushing forward.</p><p>And man, was Isen <b><em>not</em></b> prepared for how fast this man actually was.</p><p>He moved so fast, the teen didn't even see the fist flying at him until it was right in front of his eye.</p><p>He cried out as the man landed a solid punch to his face. Another mirrored hand punched him in the ribs and the teen swore he heard something crack.</p><p>Isen groaned as he hit the floor, his eye and nose stinging. His ribs ached as he coughed, tasting a faint metallic liquid on his tongue.</p><p>"ISEN!"</p><p>He heard someone call out his name but he was too dazed to focus on who it was.</p><p>The crowd around them whispered.</p><p>"This man is stronger than Isen!"</p><p>"That means he's possibly a high tier...!"</p><p>"Oh crap! What is he going to do now?!"</p><p>Isen groaned as he sat up, an arm wrapped around his stomach.</p><p>The orange haired teen looked over as another figure ran through the crowd. His vision came back into focus as Blyke raced over and knelt next to the teen.</p><p>"Isen, are you ok?!" He coughed before nodding slightly, holding his nose which was now gushing blood as Blyke helped the teen up.</p><p>The redhead looked at the man, anger apparent in his voice. "What the hell is your <b><em>problem</em></b>?!"</p><p>The man huffed as he shook his hand out, his ability still active. "My problem?! How about you tell your sh*tty friend to stay out of others business and to know his f*cking place!"</p><p>Blyke was about to charge at the man until a voice broke through the crowd.</p><p>"<em><b>ENOUGH!</b></em>"</p><p>Everyone froze as they turned to watch a certain medic step forward, his eyes glowing dangerously as he stepped into the semi circle the students formed.</p><p>Everyone visibly shivered as he walked forward, a dark mist surrounding him.</p><p>Darren kept his eyes trained on the man before looking to the junior and freshman. "Blyke, Milo, take Rehan and Isen to the infirmary. I'll help take care of them when I get back."</p><p>The two nodded slightly. Milo helped support Isen who was a little uneven on his feet as Blyke picked up Rehan, the redhead strong enough to carry him.</p><p>The doctor turned back to the man who attempted to follow them. "<em><b>As for you,</b></em>" Darren turned to face the intimidating adult. "Keene and I told your colleagues that you were allowed in here as long as you didn't disturb the students, correct?"</p><p>The man rolled his eyes, unamused.</p><p>Darren kept his tone low as he continued. "You have the right to be here. What you DON'T have the right to do is beat up and brutally hurt our students!"</p><p>The school nurse felt his blood boil as the man only laughed. "You teachers are quite something, aren't you? We have the right to do as we see fit to maintain order. Maybe, you should actually <b>teach</b> these brats something useful and show them to <em>respect</em> those in power, especially those of the authorities."</p><p>Darren narrowed his eyes. "Authorities or not, I don't f*cking care! If I ever, and I mean EVER see you laying a hand on another one of these kids, I will rip off each of your fingers and shove them down your throat!"</p><p>The grey haired man said nothing, only staring the man down. "We'll see about that."</p><p>He walked by the nurse, bumping his shoulder into him in the process before walking out the door.</p><p>Darren huffed before looking at the others. "What are you all standing around here for?! GET GOING ALREADY! I'VE GOT SH*T TO DO!"</p><p>The students all hurried away like wild chickens as they ran off through the hallways to grab their things.</p><p>The man sighed as he rubbed his face, walking off to go take care of the injured kids in his office.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>Isen yelped as Doc carefully wrapped the bandages around his ribs. "There. Luckily none of your ribs are fully broken, just fractured." Isen nodded as he carefully slipped his shirt back on. "Your nose on the other hand,"</p><p>Isen narrowed his eyes in dismay at the tape along the bridge of his nose and the swelling that accompanied it. The crazy man had managed to break his nose and crack the side of his cheek bone.</p><p>"Well, you know the drill." He shoved a tonic in his face, the teen taking it with hesitation before gulping it down.</p><p>Isen stared at the floor in silence instead of watching the teens across from him.</p><p>Blyke stood off to the side between Isen's bed and Rehan's, though his attention was turned to Isen.</p><p>The redhead had <em>never</em> seen Isen act that way. He had never seen Isen willingly put himself between people like that nor had he ever seen the orange haired male that livid before.</p><p>But whatever Isen's motive, he kept the other two kids safe.</p><p>Rehan had woken up a few minutes ago, disoriented and with a concussion, but otherwise ok.</p><p>Milo sat at the edge of Rehan's bed, looking at the other four in the room. "Uhm...I'm sorry I caused so much trouble for all of you...you shouldn't have had to step in..." He sighed as he covered his face. "This is all my fault..."</p><p>Blyke raised an eyebrow as he looked to Milo. "What are you talking about? You didn't do anything wrong. That man was grossly out of line."</p><p>Rehan nodded in agreement, placing a hand on Milo's shoulder as he leaned over. "And of course we had to step in! That man would've hurt you had we not done something!"</p><p>Milo shut his eyes before shoving the sophomores hand away, rising to his feet. "Except look at you Rehan! Look at what he did to you! You got thrown into the lockers unconscious and there was nothing I could do! YOU GOT HURT BECAUSE OF ME! Doesn't that bother you in the slightest?!"</p><p>The wavy haired teen only looked at him. "No, it doesn't Lo. You're my best friend and if you think I'm just gonna stand there and watch someone beat you up over something as small as bumping into them and dropping a lunch tray, think again!"</p><p>Milo stared at him with wide copper eyes, his friends nickname for him echoing through his mind.</p><p>No...he couldn't keep letting Rehan get hurt because of him. Everyone already looked down upon them because Milo was a low tier and Rehan a mid tier. He couldn't keep weighing the teen down like this...</p><p>Milo looked away, his blue hair falling in front of his face. "Then I'm not letting you get hurt for me anymore..."</p><p>Rehan's eyes went wide. "Wait, what?! Lo, what are you talking about?!"</p><p>Milo turned and started walking out of the room. "It would be best if we left each other alone...I'm sorry Rehan...I don't want to do this...but I know you'll find better than me out there..."</p><p>The sophomore shot to his feet, instantly becoming dizzy and having to sit back down. He held his head as he tried standing up again, keeping a hand on the bedding for support. "Lo! Milo, wait! You don't have to do this! PLEASE!"</p><p>But the only reply the young teen got back was the sound of the door slamming shut. Rehan stared at the wall in front of him, trying to stop the tears in his eyes.</p><p>He sat back down, staring at the floor.</p><p>That was his best friend of 7 years...and he just walked right out the door.</p><p>Rehan pulled his knees up to his chest. "Dammit!" He punched the bed next to him in frustration. Blyke took a seat next to the young teen and placed a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry..."</p><p>Isen watched with a sad gaze as Rehan broke down. "He's been my best friend since we were in elementary school...! What am I supposed to do without him...?!"</p><p>Blyke could only sit there as he let his hand rest on his shoulder, not knowing what to say or do.</p><p>From off to the side, Darren watched with a down casted expression. Honestly, he wasn't surprised Milo walked away.</p><p>He's been seeing it happen the entire week: students leaving their friends in the infirmary. It was either because they couldn't take the bullying they received since they were associated with weaker students or because low tiered students were ditching their friends in an effort to protect them.</p><p>The nurse would never admit it, but it <em>hurt</em> to watch this.</p><p>He hated having to stand at the curtain, tonics and bandages in hand as he could do nothing but watch these kids leave their friends in a fruitless effort to protect themselves or each other.</p><p>All because they were different...</p><p>Darren sighed as he handed a tonic to Rehan. "Here kid. Drink this and get some rest. You should be healed up in an hour." The sophomore only took the drink and sipped on it without a word.</p><p>Isen and Blyke left the teen to rest as he curled up on the cot, holding the covers to himself in a vice grip.</p><p>The two teens waved to doc, thanking him for his help before leaving him be.</p><p>The man said nothing back, resting his head in his hands as the teens left.</p><p>The room was silent as Darren was lost in his thoughts.</p><p>Right now, he felt so stupid for pushing Keene to do this.</p><p>He should've trusted the man...</p><p>...................</p><p>
  <em>Keene sat at his desk as Keon, Zander, and Nadia stood before him. The three had just finished up their talk with the kids and had asked to speak with the both of them.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Darren stood off to the side slightly as Keon spoke.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Keene, with all due respect, I think it would be wise to leave a group of our people here in the building.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Keene's eyes went a little wide. "Hmm? And what prompted this conclusion?"</em>
</p><p><em>The cop kept his stern gaze neutral.</em> <em>"We're going to be doing this as a precaution. Vaughn may be under surveillance, but anyone he may be connected to could still be out and about. With us being here, we can help keep students safe from any potential culprits looking for Vaughn's files and such."</em></p><p>
  <em>Keene raised an eyebrow. "As much as I would love to agree, I'm more than capable of looking after these students."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Keon raised an eyebrow. "Keene, I'm afraid that's not a valid argument anymore. After what happened at the school and how we're hearing rumors in the school of a student being missing, I think it would be wise to let us help."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Keene's eyes went wide as he looked to the cops. "How much have you heard?"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Zander shrugged. "Not much. And even then, we know about the situation from the teachers and Darren here. We aren't</em>
  <em> going to open a case until we have all the details.</em>
  <em>"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The groundskeeper looked at Darren with wide eyes. They were nowhere close to being ready to file a report with everything going on. Not to mention, Keene had already explained that he doesn't trust the authorities with this case, especially after what happened with Rei.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Yes, they needed their help, but only if they didn't have any other option. And they still had plenty of options. "Darren, you said we would discuss this further."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The school nurse sighed. "Keene, you've been stressed out all week. I had to do this. Right now, we need their help to find him and help get this school back on track. We're two people in a school with hundreds of students. We can't do this alone anymore!"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The dirty blonde looked at Darren with tired, un-trusting eyes as he sighed. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Honestly, what choice did they have?</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Even if he and all the other teachers started looking for John themselves, they would get nowhere with everything they had to do.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Keene eventually nodded. "Alright. You can have access to the building during and after school hours. But you have to leave the students be.</em>
  <em>"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The cop gave no indication he would agree. "My colleagues are here to protect these students and make sure order is maintained. If they are a danger to themselves or others, we will have no choice but to step in."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Keene said nothing but could only nod his head, realizing he didn't have much of a say in the matter.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>...................</em>
</p><p>Darren should've stopped himself.</p><p>He should've talked things over with Keene.</p><p>The man had been so p*ssed with the nurse that he hasn't spoken to him in almost 5 days.</p><p>Truthfully, Darren didn't know what to do anymore besides be there when these kids needed him.</p><p>There was nothing else he could do.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>Isen huffed as he sat on the couch, letting the cushions take his weight.</p><p>Blyke walked over with an ice pack and a bottle of water for the teen which Isen was thankful for.</p><p>Blyke sat next to him, sighing as he rubbed his eyes. "This is insane...these people are out of their f*cking minds if they think they can get away with attacking students like this."</p><p>The orange haired teen nodded, opening his water bottle. "Tell me about it...I thought that was just some random teacher or something. I wasn't expecting him to be a cop." Blyke raised an eyebrow. "But, he was wearing a badge on his shirt."</p><p>Isen bit his lip as he looked away. "Well...from my view, he looked like a teacher. But, Blyke? What are we going to do? If the authorities are walking freely around the school, we can't hde you for long."</p><p>The redhead sighed. "I don't know. But, my guess is that as long as I stay low, they won't take notice."</p><p>Isen sighed. "I hope you're right...I don't know if I can fend off anymore of those guys. Especially if they're as strong as that guy!" He gave a half-hearted chuckle as he drank his water.</p><p>Blyke stared at Isen slightly. Something had been bugging him. He had never seen Isen act like that. Honestly, he thought Isen was someone else up there.</p><p>"You're normally not that confrontational. I've never seen you do something that bold before. You normally try to stay out of these kinds of things, so...why did you step in?"</p><p>Isen froze slightly, holding the ice pack to his ribs. He set his water bottle on the table before turning to face Blyke.</p><p>His thoughts drifted slightly before he opened his mouth. "Honestly Blyke...? I <b>hate</b> it when adults take advantage of kids. If it's just a bunch of teens fighting each other, it's different because we're all just rambunctious kids doing stupid sh*t without really understanding anything. But we grow out of it for the most part."</p><p>Isen shut his eyes as his hands clenched into fists, knuckles turning white. "But it p*sses me off to no end when an adult is hurting and abusing someone so much weaker, someone who has much less physical, mental and emotional maturity than they do. It's so wrong and vile for adults to act that way towards kids. They know the kid won't fight back either because they're too scared or because they're not strong enough and it's so f*cking disgusting!"</p><p>Blyke stared at Isen. He had never seen the orange haired teen this animated about something before. He almost sounded as if he had been through it himself.</p><p>The idea crept into Blyke's mind and the redhead felt dread creep into his chest. "Isen...? We're you ever...?"</p><p>The teen immediately picked up on the unanswered question, quickly shaking away his friends concerns and fear. "Oh no Blyke! No, not from anyone I'm related to! My family would never do anything like that!"</p><p>Isen sighed slightly. "It was a one time incident awhile back but...it's something I'm not comfortable with talking about yet."</p><p>Blyke wanted to press. He wanted to know what Isen was hiding but stopped himself. </p><p>Judging from Isen's demeanor, it wasn't something that the orange haired teen liked to bring up.</p><p>There was a guarded look in his eyes, something that screamed that whatever this incident was, it had hurt him in more ways than one.</p><p>He decided he wasn't going to push him for an answer. Not if it would hurt him.</p><p>The redhead only nodded. "Ok...but if you ever want to talk about it, you know I'm here for you, right?"</p><p>Isen looked to Blyke. He expected the explosive teen to be wanting answers, to want to know what happened. He wasn't expecting Blyke to actually let this go.</p><p>The orange haired teen nodded. "I don't want to just dump everything on you...but, it would be nice to have someone just listen; so I can finally get this off my chest."</p><p>He gave a faint smile, the redhead returning it. "I'll tell you another time Blyke. I've already had enough people just talk over me, wanting to fix something that can't really be fixed. When I tell you, can you promise me you'll be there and just...listen to me? Then if you have any questions or something, you can ask them?"</p><p>Blyke took in Isen's words. But he knew he could do it. If Isen needed him to be silent while he vented, then he would gladly keep his mouth shut.</p><p>He nodded as he placed a hand on his shoulder. "Of course. And whenever you're ready, I'll be here."</p><p>Eventually, the two got off the couch, stretching.</p><p>Isen stalked off to the kitchen to grab food, Blyke trailing behind him. The two of them chatted, deciding to watch a movie while they ate.</p><p>Blyke almost walked straight into Isen when the teen stopped, his phone ringing. The two raised an eyebrow to see Remi's icon on the screen.</p><p>Isen picked up. "What's up Remi?" He raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, Blyke's here with me."</p><p>Blyke couldn't hear much but Isen's eyebrows went up. "You want us to <em>what?</em> I mean...sure but can you explain what's happening later?"</p><p>Blyke remained silent before Isen sighed, saying goodbye and ending the call.</p><p>The redhead crossed his arms. "What was that all about?"</p><p>Isen scratched his head. "Remi wants us to look up info on someone. Apparently some woman named Valerie who works for the authorities."<br/><br/></p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Chapter 23: end.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0026"><h2>26. Morals</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>...................................</p><p>
  <em>Walking down the sidewalk, the ravenette looked over at his friend who was currently enjoying her drink.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>She sighed. "Feels like we haven't hung out in forever. I can't ever seem to find you anymore."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>He gave a nervous chuckle. "Oh, heh...I've been skipping class a bit more than I probably should and uh...my grades have taken a dive because of it." He scratched the back of his neck. "So the teachers have been making me do extra work during my free time to get them back up."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The girl sighed as she shook her head, her magenta extensions falling behind her back. "You know if you need help with school work, you can always ask me, right?"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>John gave her a weary and baffled look. "</em>
  <em>Buuut</em>
  <em> you always give me sh*t for being to slow..."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Seraphina raised an eyebrow. "Really? Hm, I don't remember."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>John sighed. "Besides, I'd rather just spend some time like this away from it all."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>He looked up at the sky, a soft smile adorning his face.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Away from the other students and all the schools nonsense. It's relaxing and I don't have to worry about a thing."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Seraphina thought for a second. "Hmm, can't argue with that one."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>John looked back over, a question on his mind as he pointed to her face slightly. "By the way, what happened to your face?"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>She gently brushed a hand against her cheek. "Oh this? I schooled a mid tier today."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The ravenette's eyes went a little wide with concern. "What? Another fight? Sera, shouldn't you be more careful after what happened? What if-?"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"'I don't care.' That's what you say all the time, right?" The magenta haired girl walked forward slightly as John remained silent, processing her words.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>She sighed. "So you can get into whatever trouble you want, but I can't? Why should it be any different for me?"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>John watched her walk slightly, biting his lip slightly before letting the words spring out of his mouth.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Because I don't want to see you hurt again!"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Seraphina turned around, her expression filled with shock.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>John went on, running a hand through his hair. "I know I've done a ton of dumb sh*t in the past, but it's different now because it's happening to you too!"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Seraphina remained silent as he looked at the ground. "When I saw you in the infirmary that day, I didn't know how to react!"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>He shut his eyes before looking down at his hand. "All I could think about was how weak I am... How could I be so worthless...? How could I let something like that happen to you...?"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Seraphina let his name run through her lips as she watched him.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>John turned his head away, clenching his hand at his side. "If only this stupid hierarchy didn't exist...if only we didn't have to worry about being defined by our abilities...then neither of us would have to deal with all this </em>
  <em>bullsh</em>
  <em>*t!"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Seraphina rushed forward, gently grabbing John's arm.</em>
  <em> His eyes went wide as they stared at each other with vulnerable expressions.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Seraphina was the first to speak. "John, please don't think that way! None of this is your fault...this is just how things are. We can't control everything."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>She looked down slightly, still keeping her grip light on his arm. She wasn't going to make the same mistake as last time where she just grabbed him.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"I get it, you just want me to be safe. But people will continue to look down on me and treat me like crap regardless of what I do."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>She looked back up, sky blue eyes determined and strong. "So what's the use in hiding? The least I can do is stand up for myself. I've already decided I won't let what those students did scare me."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>John looked at her, his expression filled with worry. He didn't want her to get hurt. She was one of the last people he didn't want to get hurt.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Seraphina looked at him, a calm, warm smile lining her face. "I'll keep fighting back, just like you."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>John felt guilt rise to the surface. He...he was a fraud. She was so much stronger than he could ever </em>
  <em>
    <b>hope</b>
  </em>
  <em> to be.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>But he couldn't bring himself to tell her as she looked at him with a gaze filled with admiration, filled with warmth for him.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span class="u">"You don't have to do it alone anymore!</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>...................................</p><p>John cried out in shock as he bolted upright, trembling in every limb.</p><p>He looked around wildly as he patted the floor around him, fearing his mind was once again playing tricks on him.</p><p>But some small part of him wished that it was a reality.</p><p>He <em><b>wanted</b></em> to be walking past the sandwich shop next to Woaba Boba.</p><p>He <em><b>wanted</b></em> to be letting his face bask in the sunlight as he walked with Seraphina.</p><p>He <em><b>wanted</b></em> her to be right there in front of him, telling him he wasn't alone anymore.</p><p>But the cold, solid flooring underneath him reminded the ravenette of where he was, of the fact that it was just a dream.</p><p>He was in his cell.</p><p>He was still trapped.</p><p>John shut his eyes as he rested on his side with an arm around his ribs, the ache in them becoming unbearable. He clamped a hand over his mouth as he felt a lump form in his throat.</p><p>No, he was <em>not</em> going to cry. He didn't want to cry over her. He had no reason to cry over her.</p><p> </p><p>She had hurt him.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>'But </em>
  <em>
    <b>you</b>
  </em>
  <em> hurt her...'</em>
</p><p> </p><p>He didn't need her.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>'She doesn't need </em>
  <em>
    <b>you</b>
  </em>
  <em>...'</em>
</p><p> </p><p>He was better off without her.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>'</em>
  <em>She's better of without </em>
  <em>
    <b>you</b>
  </em>
  <em>...'</em>
</p><p> </p><p>John clamped his hands down over his ears.</p><p>He didn't want to hear it. He didn't want to hear that damned voice again. It wouldn't leave him alone.</p><p>So what if Seraphina was right about everything?!</p><p>Would it change anything in the end?!</p><p>No!</p><p>It wouldn't change the fact that he was stuck in this cell.</p><p>It wouldn't change the fact that he was too weak to break himself out.</p><p>It wouldn't change that he would be stuck here, that no one would find him...</p><p>Johns eyes snapped open, fear crawling into his veins.</p><p>He...he wasn't going to leave this place alive, was he?</p><p>They were either going to break him beyond the point of return, or just decide to end him if he wasn't worth the effort.</p><p>John felt his breathing pick up.</p><p>He didn't want to be stuck here for the rest of his days!</p><p>He didn't want to waste away here!</p><p>The ravenette felt tears run down his face as he pulled his knees to his chest. He shut his eyes as he tried to pull himself together.</p><p>He <b>had</b> to keep it together.</p><p>He knew no one may come for him, but that didn't mean he was just going to give up.</p><p>John had to keep fighting.</p><p>But it was only becoming more impossible by the day...</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>Being dragged through the dusty halls had become normal for John.</p><p>The guards would drag and shove him through the winding corridor until they would take him through a door on their left, where he would sit and wait for Keon to show up.</p><p>In fact, that's what John expected. The guards came, yanked him out of his cell, and dragged him away.</p><p>But this time, they walked straight past the room...</p><p>Johns eyes widened in alarm.</p><p>"W-wait...where are you taking me...?" John looked up at the two guards who were as silent as ever. John felt dread start coursing through him when they took a right, stopping in front of two large, metal doors. Orion took a key card out of his pocket before swiping it over a panel.</p><p>The ravenette flinched as the lock over the lumbering doors snapped open, the sound echoing in the quiet hallways. Once the doors fanned out on their hinges, John was once again taken through the hallway, the two metallic doors closing behind them.</p><p>John had to do a double take as he looked around the hallway. It was...barren.</p><p>Besides the fluorescent lights that buzzed faintly above their heads, here was nothing lining the blank grey walls.</p><p>Nothing...except a lone door at the very end of the hallway.</p><p>John jumped as he was shoved forward, the guards dragging him closer to the wooden door.</p><p>What lay beyond that door was something John didn't know if he wanted to see. He didn't know what would await him but he knew he had no choice as the guards opened the door, pushing him inside.</p><p>To his utter surprise however, John looked around to see a normal looking office.</p><p>There was a window, a desk and two chairs. There was even a plant sitting on the windowsill, bathing in the orange glow of the setting sun.</p><p>John had to squint, the light burning his eyes.</p><p>But what caught John completely off guard was the tall, blonde woman sitting behind her desk, reading through a packet of papers.</p><p>She looked up and a kind smile graced her lips. "Ah, John! Just the person I was waiting for."</p><p>The ravenette stared at her, flabbergasted. Who the hell was this?! She looked at the guards, motioning for them to leave.</p><p>John watched as the two guards let go of him, letting him drop to the floor. He jumped slightly as the door snapped shut before he heard a pair of heels approach him.</p><p>His thoughts wandered back to Marcella and he flinched away, not wanting to deal with this woman too.</p><p>She sighed as she scratched her head. "Sorry about them. They've always been a bit rough." She held out a hand to help him up, but John only stared at her in bewilderment and agitation.</p><p>No...he wasn't going to trust her. Nobody in this entire f*cking building could be trusted!</p><p>They were all liars and hypocrites but then again, so was he.</p><p>John almost wanted to laugh. Maybe it really was fitting that he was here.</p><p>He ignored her gesture as he pushed himself up to his feet, a hand resting gingerly against his ribs.</p><p>"...who are you? And why am I here?" John wasted no time in getting to the point.</p><p>The woman gave a warm chuckle. "Oh don't worry, we'll get to that in a minute. But first, please, sit down."</p><p>She motioned to the other chair in front of her desk. Again, John eyed her with a glare.</p><p>Like hell he was going to trust this woman. He didn't care how much his legs were shaking, he wasn't going to heed a word she said. "I think I'll just stand."</p><p>The woman shrugged. "Suit yourself. Would you at least like some water?"</p><p>John had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep himself from saying yes. He wanted to wash out the taste of blood in his mouth so badly, to get something in his system after Keon's latest session.</p><p>But again, he kept his guard up. He shook his head slightly as he stared at her with a firm glance. She sighed, sitting down in her office chair. "Well, I offered. Anyways John, it's nice to officially meet you. My name is Valerie."</p><p>John narrowed his eyes, picking up on her behavior. The office setting, her calm and collected demeanor, and not to mention her off-putting kindness towards him. Already, he knew what this was about. "Let me guess; you're one of the people who ordered to bring me here and now, you're going to offer me something."</p><p>The woman's eyes merely twinkled in amusement. "You're smarter than I gave you credit for. You're close. Rather, there's something we <em>want</em> from you John. The question is, would you be willing to cooperate?"</p><p>The ravenette didn't budge. "And why would you think I'd want to agree to anything? Especially with murderers like you?"</p><p>Valerie chuckled, leaning back in her chair. "Oh John. Honestly, I understand where you're coming from. I get that growing up as a cripple, you've experienced things in your own way. You see the world differently than we do. However, there seems to be a bit of a misconception with how people perceive these vigilantes."</p><p>She reached over and took a sip from a coffee mug, the caffeinated brew still steaming. "As you probably know, superheros are all high tiers. They're strong, powerful, dangerous. These high tiers don't follow the rules of society. They tend to stray from the law and in the process, people get hurt. This is our way of protecting the people; allowing them to live a safer life."</p><p>The blonde eyed Johns reaction, but the teen was stone faced, his features still set in a glare. "Vigilantes may be trying to help others, but there have been reports of these so called 'heroes' going off and terrorizing towns. Many civilians have been getting caught in the cross-fire, even some getting killed."</p><p>She crossed her arms as she shut her honey irises. "Trying to keep track of all of these vigilantes has been problematic. With so many running around and with no way of keeping track of them, there's only one option left."</p><p>John narrowed his eyes. "But it wasn't just a way to deal with problematic heroes, wasn't it? It was a way to make a statement, a way to ensure your power. You people are scared that someone will finally call you out on your bullsh*t, that someone of power will expose you all for the murderers and frauds you are."</p><p>Valerie raised an eyebrow. "Well, when you put it that way, you make it sound like we only have selfish reasons for killing these criminals."</p><p>John huffed before she continued. "But the truth is, we only want what's best for everyone. We want to keep order and balance. People like you see flaws in our society that you think need to be fixed. But do they really? This system has worked for hundreds of years. Why should we change something that isn't broken to begin with?"</p><p>John grit his teeth. "I'm not going to stand here and listen to your sh*t! Tell me what it is you want from me!"</p><p>She narrowed her eyes. "Well, the truth John, is that we want your help, or more accurately, your ability. Recently, there has been an influx in vigilantes. It's something our 'department' can no longer keep up with. I know you may be weary of us given your stressful circumstances,"</p><p>John raised an eyebrow. 'I've been handcuffed to a f*cking table for days now and that's only 'stressful' to you?!'</p><p>The ravenette watched as the blonde kept her eyes trained on him. "but truthfully John, we want the same thing you do: change. And that starts by getting rid of all these criminals on the streets."</p><p>She stood up, leaning against the desk a bit. "<em>You</em> can help change all of this. You can help us fix this madness. High tiers like you, you're so much more valuable than you ever give yourselves credit for. Imagine what you could do if you were given all the freedom to use your ability..."</p><p>John stared at her, a chill running up his back.</p><p>He knew what she was asking of him and like hell he was going to comply.</p><p>He shook his head, taking a step back. "No...no, I'm not going to help you kill people. I will <em>never</em> do something like that!"</p><p>Valerie raised an eyebrow. "Oh? So, you can send half your class to the hospital because you felt like it...but you can't help us stop people who are actively a threat to society?"</p><p>His eyes went wide.</p><p>That wasn't the same thing! He never killed anyone before! He beat them out of anger and self defense, but he was never planning on killing them!</p><p>"That's-...that's completely different! Hurting people is one thing, but <em>killing</em>...?! F*ck no! I've never killed anyone and I'm not going to start now!"</p><p>The woman glared at him. "So, you'd rather just sit in your cell, day in and day out, letting your talent waste away?"</p><p>He narrowed his eyes. "It's not a talent! It's a f*cking curse! I've already hurt people with my ability, but like hell am I going to use it to help you people with your sick and twisted games!"</p><p>Valerie walked over, her eyes seeming to burn with flames.</p><p>John took a step back before his knees buckled under him.</p><p>He groaned when he landed on his side, crawling back a bit as Valerie hovered above him, her shadow looming over John and casting an eerie shadow along the wall behind him.</p><p>She knelt down, grabbing his collar. "I don't think you understand John. One way or another you <em><b>will</b></em> help us. <em>How</em> you do that all depends on you however."</p><p>John gulped, keeping his eyes fixed on the blonde.</p><p>Part of his mind gave way to the idea.</p><p>But then he remembered the cost and immediately, he felt disgusted he even catered to the thought to begin with.</p><p>He would have been free from Keon and his mental interrogation, but John knew he would never actually be free from this torment.</p><p>How many lives would they ask him to take?</p><p>They've already killed dozens of superheroes and there were still plenty out there. How far would they make him take their deaths?</p><p>Where was the line for these people? </p><p>Would they make him slowly mutilate them; to make every last breath hurt?</p><p>Would they have him break them mind and soul and torture them until they begged him for death?</p><p>Would they have him kill them all even if they had families to take care of, even if they were just trying to protect their loved ones?</p><p>
  <em>When would it end?</em>
</p><p>And that's when John had his answer: it wouldn't.</p><p>This would <em>never</em> stop.</p><p>As long as the hierarchy was still intact, these people would still continue to step forward. </p><p>As long as the hierarchy existed, these superheroes would continue to put themselves at risk and get killed. </p><p>It was an endless cycle and it was one John wanted no part of.</p><p>John stared at Valerie, anger boiling within him. He wanted to smack the smirk right off her face as she muttered the next words. "So John...what's it going to be?"</p><p>The ravenette grit his teeth as he glared at her. "<b>No.</b>"</p><p>Valerie's eyes went wide as her smirk formed into a scowl. "Listen here you piece of sh*t, I'm giving you the chance to leave this hell and actually do something <em>useful</em> with your life! So how about you-"</p><p>John leaned up and headbutted the woman in the face. He wasn't going to listen to her or to anyone else here.</p><p>They were all as fake as he was!</p><p>They preached about how he was a <b><em>monster</em></b> and how he only abused his power when the reality was, they were EXACTLY the same as him!</p><p>John quickly tried sprinting to the window as adrenaline pumped through his veins. He didn't care how high up this room was, he would <em>gladly</em> break his legs if it meant he would escape this hellhole.</p><p>Except, he didn't account for Valerie's ability...</p><p>John sensed it a second too late as he felt an eerily familiar sensation tear through his back. </p><p>........................</p><p>
  <em>John opened the door, the person behind him ushering him inside.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>It was almost eerily quiet as Johns gaze went from the floor to the room ahead of him.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>He was truly confused as to why he was brought here during school hours, but he knew whatever it was must've been urgent if the man was willing to bring John here during classes.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>But his confusion turned into terror at the sight before him.</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>John stared at the scene, eyes wide. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>'What the hell is happening...?!'</em>
</p><p>
  <em>He thought he was hallucinating at first, that his mind had finally wore down and was now playing more sinister tricks with him.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The man currently held to the floor, struggling to escape only confirmed that this was in fact real as his forest green eyes grew wide with terror upon seeing the teen standing at the door.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>All at once, John immediately felt drained, like his energy had just evaporated into thin air. It was a familiar sensation and he now knew just how much danger he was in.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The words on the edge of his tongue never left though as something burning, searing even tore through his shoulder.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>He didn't even </em>
  <span class="u">
    <em>sense</em>
  </span>
  <em> that someones ability had already been activated.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Blood began to soak through his shirt but the </em>
  <em>
    <b>flames</b>
  </em>
  <em> left behind is what scared John the most.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>He heard a gruff voice call out his name, trying to tell the teen to run and leave, to get to somewhere safe. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>But as much as he wanted to flee, John was backed into a corner. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>There was no other option other than to fight.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>He tried to keep his focus, a hand rushing to his now burning shoulder as he desperately tried to pat out the flames now crawling up his blazer. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>The ravenette turned his attention back as a blurred assailant rushed at him, flames dancing at their finger tips. He ducked and dodged long enough to copy their ability, deciding to hold his ground and fight.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>But it wouldn't be enough...  </em>
</p><p>........................</p><p>John cried out as he crumbled to the floor, his hand clawing at his burnt back.</p><p>Immediately, he activated his own ability and let the familiar sensation of his aura flow through him, copying the flaming claws.</p><p>He barely had Valerie's ability active on his fingertips before the woman grabbed his head and kneed him in the face. </p><p>Johns hands reverted back to normal as his aura died out, Valerie letting him drop to the floor like a sack of flour.</p><p>She huffed as she stared at the unconscious teen, grabbing him by the arm and dragging him out the door. </p><p>'Fine then. Have it your way John.'</p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Chapter 24: end.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0027"><h2>27. Investigation</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>
  <b>
    <span class="u">-------------------------------------------------------</span>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <span class="u">Authority Public Records</span>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <span class="u">
    <b>Department:</b>
  </span>
  <b> &lt;All Departments&gt;</b>
</p><p>
  <span class="u">
    <b>Sort By:</b>
  </span>
  <b> Alphabetical order</b>
</p><p>
  <span class="u">
    <b>Search:</b>
  </span>
  <b> Valerie</b>
</p><p>
  <span class="u">
    <b>Results:</b>
  </span>
  <b> none</b>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <span class="u">-------------------------------------------------------</span>
  </b>
</p><p> </p><p>Isen gave a groan as he slammed his head down on the counter. "Still nothing?!"</p><p>He went through name after name, but so far, there was nothing in the system about a woman named 'Valerie.'</p><p>So far, everything about the woman was a mystery. Even when he searched for her on the general web, nothing about her came up. Not a name, description or even a number.</p><p>That's when he decided to check out the official public records to see if she was there but once again, nothing.</p><p>She didn't show up in any of the departments!</p><p>Not crime, not Juvenile Delinquent, not even in their Security or Tax Fraud departments!</p><p>The teen was starting to get frustrated.</p><p>He had been looking for a few hours now and he wasn't getting anywhere. The only reason he knew this woman even existed was because Remi had told them that Arlo was related to her and that they would be seeing her today.</p><p>So unless Arlo was related to a ghost, Valerie was very much a real person and alive.</p><p>Isen scratched his head as he took a sip of his milk. </p><p>This wasn't going to help him at all if he couldn't even get her description or even what department she worked for.</p><p>Maybe Remi had gotten the name wrong?</p><p>Maybe there wasn't even a Valerie in their systems to begin with.</p><p>Then the idea struck Isen.</p><p>'Or maybe...she's not listed on their public systems at all.'</p><p>It wasn't far outside the realm of possibility. </p><p>Secure officials who worked for the authorities wouldn't keep their personal info on tabs for the world to see, especially on the general web. But they would still have their information stored somewhere in case they had to be contacted. </p><p>In other words: private servers. </p><p>Isen sighed. If Valerie was under a private listing, it means that she would only be found in the authorities personal records.</p><p>And that was something that even Isen, with all his journalist knowledge and hacking experience, could not get into.</p><p>Like hell he was going to try and break into a secure government run server.</p><p>They'd put him in jail faster than he can blink!</p><p>Until Remi got back from her outing with Seraphina and Arlo, he was just going to have to sit and wait.</p><p>Right now though, he was hoping that Remi would find the answers she was looking for.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>Three teens walked down the sidewalk towards the Royal Cafe.</p><p>The cold breeze accompanied them along their walk as the sun shone down on them for the first time in what seemed like years.</p><p>As they approached, the three high-schooler's took in the picturesque scene of the cafe. </p><p>The place was quaint. </p><p>Though in typical Arlo fashion, he forgot to tell them of the formal-ish atmosphere residing in the cafe, leaving Remi and Seraphina a tad bit under-dressed for the occasion. </p><p>Unlike Remi however, Seraphina didn't mind.</p><p>It wasn't like they were trying to make an impression on the woman. They were here for one thing and one thing only: answers.</p><p>Answers to who could've murdered Rei, answers to who could've taken John.</p><p>Even though everyone had been told to keep quiet about the entire situation, the three had already heard doc venting over the phone in the infirmary about how the authorities were doing jack-sh*t in their case with John.</p><p>It had already been almost a week since it opened but everyone was becoming frantic. </p><p>Arlo had passed by Keene's office only to hear the man yelling to someone on the other end about how 'there's been a student missing for two weeks now and you haven't done a single f*cking thing!'</p><p>The blonde had never heard the groundskeeper swear before but if it was bad enough to garner that reaction, he knew they had to move quickly.</p><p>And when the magenta haired girl asked him about it, Darren spilled and shamefully admitted that he and Keene were at the end of their ropes and in an effort to lessen the stress, he confided in the authorities about the ravenettes mysterious disappearance.</p><p>She couldn't blame the man for wanting help.</p><p>Students were still being sent to the infirmary at an alarming rate and the longer that John was missing, the more the students grew suspicious of his absence. </p><p>With that, Arlo knew it would only be a matter of time before the school would dissolve into chaos.</p><p>Without a king at the helm, even if it was a tyrant king, everyone would start drifting out of line since there would be no real fear or order to hold them in place.  </p><p>It was a silent threat being held over their heads by a thin string. It would only be a matter of time before that string broke and all hell would break loose.</p><p>Everyone was stressed and worried and just...felt hopeless.</p><p>They were all doing their best to look for John with what they had and it just seemed like it wasn't enough. </p><p>But they couldn't give up.</p><p>They were going to get answers one way or another. Whether it was from Valerie, someone at the school, or even a random person on the street.</p><p>They <em>would</em> get to the bottom of this.<br/><br/></p><p>The two girls didn't know why Arlo's aunt wanted to choose this place of all locations, but Arlo knew her reasoning and couldn't help the warmth he felt as they walked up to the place.</p><p>It was the same cafe the two of them had gone to when Arlo first found out he was accepted into Wellston. He and Valerie had gone here to celebrate before she had to go off to work for the day.</p><p>It wasn't anything grand or over the top, but to Arlo, it meant the world to him that at least one of his family members was excited about the school he was accepted into.</p><p>Arlo felt the corner of his mouth turn up.</p><p>It would be great to just hang out with his aunt again.</p><p>If only it were under better circumstances...</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>The scent of coffee and freshly baked pastries drifted into everyone's nostrils as they walked in through the glass doors. The buildings heat un-thawed their frozen hands and ears from the weather outside.</p><p>Looking around, the cafe was clean and pristine, its graphite stained walls decorated in various works of oil paint frames. Panes of blue stained glass and half dome light fixtures hovered over random tables like clusters of sea glass and luminescent jellyfish, and despite their simplistic appearance, even the tables and chairs seemed comfortable enough to sit at for hours on end. </p><p>The Royal Cafe was defiantly a place worthy of its name.   </p><p>Remi looked around the wide expanse of the cafe, trying to seek out the woman they were searching for. "Is she already here Arlo?"</p><p>The blonde scanned the tables before his eyes landed on the lone woman sipping her coffee towards the center of the room. "Yup, there she is."</p><p>He walked over as he waved slightly. "Hey, Aunt Val!"</p><p>The woman looked up and a smile instantly crossed her face. "Arlo, there you are!"</p><p>Seraphina watched as a tall, blonde woman walked over, her smooth hair held nicely in a ponytail. She was dressed formally in a black dress shirt, grey slacks and heels.</p><p>Remi stared at the woman in slight shock. 'Well, now I know those two are definitely related.'</p><p>She walked over and gently placed a hand on the teens shoulder. "Ah, it's good to see you again Arlo! Things have been so chaotic lately."</p><p>To the girls surprise, Arlo actually <em>smiled</em>.</p><p>Like an actual, genuine smile.</p><p>Who knew the uptight blonde actually had it in him?</p><p>"It's good to see you too Aunt Val."</p><p>The woman looked to the side at Remi and Seraphina. "Ah, and these must be your friends I take it?"</p><p>Arlo nodded. "Yes. Aunt Val, this is Seraphina and Remi."</p><p>The woman held out her hand, a warm smile on her face. "It's a pleasure to meet you two. Please, call me Val."</p><p>The two girls respectfully shook her hand.</p><p>Seraphina looked at the woman with a blank stare. It wasn't out of hostility, but the ex-ace wasn't going to trust her until she had some solid answers.</p><p>But for Remi...she couldn't shake the feeling like she's seen this woman before.</p><p>She decided to just let the feeling slide.</p><p>Once the three sat down and placed orders for their drinks and some food, Valerie spoke up. "So, you said you had wanted to talk with me about something important?"</p><p>Arlo nodded before looking to Seraphina. The magenta haired girl only looked to the other two.</p><p>She knew Remi wanted answers about her brother and she deserved every right to know about what happened to him. </p><p>"You guys go first." Remi raised her eyebrows a bit but gave the girl a faint smile.</p><p>The pinkette looked to Valerie, a bit nervous for what she was about to ask. "Well Val...uhm...my brother was..." Remi looked down at the table, taking a deep breath. "My brother was murdered by EMBER a couple of months ago. My family and I weren't aware of it at the time, but he was a vigilante. I believe you may have heard of him; X-Static."</p><p>Valerie silently nodded as Remi went on. "The authorities told us they opened up an investigation on his murder, but they never got back to me or my family. We haven't gotten a single answer or lead...not even any updates on their progress or if there even is any."</p><p>Valerie furrowed her eyebrows together. "Really? I'm very sorry to hear about that."</p><p>The pinkette looked up, shaking her hands slightly. "Ah, i-it's fine."</p><p>The woman took a sip of her coffee. "I take it your brother was a high tier, correct?"</p><p>Remi and Arlo both nodded to which, Valerie sighed. "Such a waste..."</p><p>Remi's amber eyes went wide with shock upon the next words that left Valerie's lips. <em>"A strong young man like him could've been so much more. Yet, he decided to do </em><b><em>that</em></b><em> kind of thing."</em></p><p>She's heard that phrase before. But from where-?</p><p>
  
</p><p>Remi slammed her hands down on the table, startling both Arlo and Seraphina. "YOU-!"</p><p>Valerie raised an eyebrow, almost un-settlingly calm. "Hm? Is there something wrong Remi?"</p><p>Like hell there was!</p><p>How could this woman be so calm and collected after everything she's done?!</p><p>How can she sit there, having the gall to act innocent when she knows EXACTLY what's wrong?!</p><p>The pinkette was about to open her mouth when Seraphina grabbed Remi's arm. "Remi, what's gotten into you?"</p><p>Remi froze. She realized that neither of them fully knew about what happened that night. She never told either of them the full story.</p><p>Not to mention...if this hunch turned out to be right...and the woman before her really was Volcan...she couldn't give herself away.</p><p>Though, it was probably too late at this point. </p><p>Remi had <em>stupidly</em> removed her mask when they were fighting and exposed her whole face to the woman. Valerie probably knew exactly who she was and now that Remi had just pulled that little stunt, she probably just gave away that she was well aware of who Valerie was too.</p><p>Despite that, she decided to calm down, knowing she had to play her cards carefully.</p><p>Remi sat back down in her seat with a sigh, her voice stiff. "Nothing. I'm sorry for that outburst Val. But I'd kindly ask you not to talk about my brother that way. He was a good person who had everyone's best intentions at heart."</p><p>The woman sighed, nodding slightly. "I see. I apologize for my words if they offended you. But you should know Remi, becoming a vigilante is not something to be looked up upon. It is dangerous, especially with EMBER running around. Honestly, I wish these so called 'superheroes' could learn to <em>actually</em> put their faith in us."</p><p>Seraphina raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean by that?"</p><p>Valerie sipped her coffee again. "Well, all these vigilantes are going around trying to stop all this so-called 'crime' happening, when the authorities are already doing their best to take care of it."</p><p>Remi narrowed her eyes a bit. "If I can be blunt here Val, I don't think I can believe that anymore..."</p><p>Valerie looked at her, an eyebrow going up. "Oh? And what makes you say that?"</p><p>The pinkette didn't miss a beat. "Because I've seen how lax authorities have been when it comes to the well-being of low tier districts. And it's not a rare occurrence. A lot of low tier districts have been having to self govern for ages now because the authorities haven't done a thing to help them. Why is that?"</p><p>The woman sighed. "Remi, the authorities have hundreds of new cases a day. Some take longer than others to solve and some take priority over others."</p><p>Remi raised an eyebrow, not exactly liking this answer. "So, when an entire low tier district is taken over by <em>one</em> mid tier, <b>that</b> doesn't take priority?"</p><p>Arlo eyed the pinkette, starting to get worried. 'Remi, where are you going with this?' He gently elbowed her, raising an eyebrow when she looked at him.</p><p>She only huffed and turned back to Valerie, starting to feel anger simmer within her. </p><p>Whether Valerie was Volcan or not, that doesn't excuse everyone else within the authorities from actually doing their job.</p><p>Valerie could be the only one in the authorities connected to all this, but there was always that slim possibility that maybe, they were all in on this madness.</p><p>The pinkette almost stood up from her seat. "If the authorities aren't able to answer 'simple' cases like these, then why aren't you guys accepting help from vigilantes who <em>want</em> to help? You both have the same goals, right? Then why are you just denouncing them and their efforts?"</p><p>Seraphina could tell Remi was getting heated, but looking at Valerie's face sent a shiver up her spine.  </p><p>She couldn't read the woman at all.</p><p>But there was something almost...sinister in the way she held her gaze on Remi.</p><p>The woman kept her eyes trained on the girl in front of her as she spoke, voice calm and even. "Vigilantes methods are merely impulsive. They're dangerous and don't do a single thing to fix the root of where the problems are stemming from. It only does more harm than good in the long run. You need to look at the bigger picture here."</p><p>She rested her head on the palm of her free hand, her fingers tapping along the coffee container resting in her other hand. "Your brother may have had good intentions Remi, but can you say the same thing for every other vigilante? Can you guarantee that high tiers, running around unchecked and unsupervised, will always do the right thing? Whose to say that all this power won't go to their heads?"   </p><p>Remi stood up, about to open her mouth and scream at the woman, but stopped herself. </p><p>Instead, she shut her eyes before opening them again, a new kind of fire kindling in her amber gaze.</p><p>It wasn't out of anger or hate, but a <em>need</em> to prove to not just those sitting around her but to everyone who told her otherwise that this wasn't a waste of time, that her brother did not die fighting for a worthless cause.</p><p>"You're right. I <b>can't</b> prove that all vigilantes will behave selflessly like my brother did or that they will always have everyone's best interest at heart...I can't prove that they won't give in to all the fame that comes with being a hero..."</p><p>Her hands curled into fists. "But that doesn't mean you shouldn't at least give them a <b><em>chance</em></b>. Just because not everyone will always think the same way doesn't mean that all of these people are doing this for fame or recognition. Contrary to what everyone else thinks, there <b>are</b> people in this world who want to help bring change and actually help others. They don't deserve to be tossed aside like they're garbage! You say that they're just running around causing chaos when the reality is, if that was true for <b>all</b> vigilantes, then <em>no</em> crime would be getting solved. In fact you would have even <b>bigger</b> problems to deal with!"</p><p>Arlo narrowed his eyes before he grabbed Remi's arm, teeth grit and almost seething at the moment. "What's gotten into you Remi?! Why are you acting like this?"</p><p>The girl said nothing.</p><p>She knew Arlo would defend his aunt. Remi had never met her before now, but she knew the teen thought the world of her.</p><p>If she tried telling him that she thought his aunt was a killer, he would 1. never believe her and 2. never talk to her again.</p><p>But she had to warn Seraphina before she could talk to the woman. Valerie most likely knew of Remi's ties to being a vigilante, but she didn't know that they were investigating John's disappearance.</p><p>Even if Valerie and whoever took John weren't connected, Valerie simply could not be trusted.</p><p>Looking back at everyone, Remi excused herself, saying she needed some air.</p><p>Seraphina watched the girl with a confused stare as she walked away.</p><p>It was only a few minutes later and Arlo was asking Val to take it easy on Remi when Seraphina got a text message from none other than the pinkette herself.</p><p>
  <span class="u">
    <em>Remi: /meet me in the restroom asap/</em>
  </span>
</p><p>The magenta haired girl raised an eyebrow but decided to go find Remi. She excused herself from the table as she went to find the restrooms.</p><p>Once Seraphina entered the bathroom to see Remi hunched over the sink, splashing water in her face, the magenta haired girl huffed. "Remi, you better start explaining what the hell is going on! What is with you? We're here to finally get answers but you're here going off on a member of the authorities."</p><p>The pinkette sighed as she leaned against the wall, eyes narrowed in a worried gaze. "I...I don't know how to explain this Seraphina..."</p><p>Seraphina ran her hands over her face. "Well you better start explaining right now! I've never seen you act like that and obviously, there's a reason behind it."</p><p>Remi sighed. "Did Arlo ever tell you of my little outings with Blyke and Isen?"</p><p>The other raised an eyebrow but she nodded nonetheless. </p><p>"Well, during one of those trips, we ran into a woman named Volcan who had fire claws as her ability. She was the one dealing out all of these ability amplifying drugs. She was blonde, tall and her voice..."</p><p>Seraphina finally caught on to what Remi was thinking. "You think Valerie is Volcan, don't you...?"</p><p>Remi ran a hand through her hair. "I mean, how can I not?! Seraphina, they sound identical and I bet that had I pulled her mask off that night, I'd be looking right at Valerie!"</p><p>Seraphina rubbed her temples, trying to process all of this. "If what you're saying is true...that means that Valerie is a part of EMBER..."</p><p>The pinkette nodded. "Which means that my theory of EMBER being connected to the authorities could be right."</p><p>The magenta haired girl leaned against the wall herself. "Remi, I want to believe you, but this sounds insane..."</p><p>The other nodded in agreement. "I know it does. But even if I'm wrong Seraphina, we <em>cannot</em> tell her about John."</p><p>Seraphina's eyes went wide. "What?! Why?! Remi, that's the entire reason we're here to begin with besides getting answers about your brother!"</p><p>Remi walked over, placing her hands on Seraphina's shoulders. "Seraphina, we can't! What do you think will happen if we tell her and she really is Volcan or at least connected to Volcan? What if we tell her that he's gone missing? We could be putting him in even more danger!"</p><p>Seraphina let out a shaky breath. She wanted to trust the pinkette. </p><p>But what would it cost?</p><p>If Remi was wrong about Valerie, then she would be blowing her only chance of getting help to find John.</p><p>It had already been two weeks...</p><p>John was surely running out of time the longer he stayed with whoever had him.</p><p>But the more she thought about it, the more she realized that Remi could be right.<br/><br/></p><p>John didn't believe in the hierarchy. </p><p>He believed that this entire system needed to burn. </p><p>EMBER targets high tiers who don't fit the typical mold, who worked outside the hierarchy's regulations. If it was only high tiers EMBER was targeting, then why only vigilantes? </p><p>Because your typical high tier wouldn't be out on the street fighting crime and defying the traditional norms of being at the top. They would keep to themselves and keep their powers to themselves. </p><p>But John...he was the exact opposite just not on the superhero scale. He doesn't abide by the standards of the hierarchy. Even when posing as a cripple, he pushed through the norms of society because he didn't want the hierarchy dictating his life. </p><p>Which ultimately, makes him a <em>threat</em> to EMBER. </p><p>It wasn't just the fact that his dad wrote the book that started all of this to begin with.</p><p>It was because John, at his very core, was the embodiment of 'UnOrdinary's message.<br/><br/></p><p>He tested everyone's ideals and view points of the world. <br/><br/></p><p>He made everyone question their actions and reasons. <br/><br/></p><p>He showed that sometimes what you think is the right thing to do could actually be wrong. <br/><br/></p><p>
  <span class="u">
    <em>He challenged everyone to make their own way for themselves, to write their own rules.</em>
  </span>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>In some ways, John was <b>more</b> of a threat to EMBER than any number of vigilantes running around on the streets.</p><p>And as Seraphina looked to Remi, she finally realized just how much danger she would be putting her best friend in if she revealed all to Valerie.<br/><br/></p><p>With that thought on her mind, she slowly nodded her head. "Ok...I'll believe you Remi...but what do we do now?"<br/><br/><br/></p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Chapter 25: end.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0028"><h2>28. Where's Your Proof?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Arlo looked at his aunt, furrowing his eyebrows. "Aunt Val, I'm sorry about Remi's behavior. But this is still a really difficult time for all of us. Please, go easy on her."</p><p>Valerie sighed. "Look, I'm sorry if I'm being blunt Arlo, but being a vigilante is not something to look up to or be proud of. You know I don't support it and I don't want her to walk down that same path."</p><p>Arlo nodded slightly. "And I agree. But I knew Rei personally and he was just a man who wanted the best for everyone."</p><p>Arlo paused slightly before exhaling a breath he didn't know he was holding. "Val, remember how during some of our conversations over the phone, I would talk to you about this friend I had and his sister? Rei was that friend."</p><p>Valerie's eyebrows went up slightly. "I recall. You talked about them quite frequently."</p><p>Arlo nodded as he clenched a fist. "Exactly. So, when I say that Rei was never a bad person and he just wanted to help people, I mean it. Rei was someone who got through to me and understood me when not many others did. What he did may have been obsurd, but that doesn't mean his heart wasn't in the right place."</p><p>Valerie nodded as she took a sip of her coffee. Though her thoughts told another story. 'Hmm...is this what you really think Arlo? Interesting...'</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>Coming back to the table in separate intervals, the girls focused on 'Valerie.'</p><p>Honestly, this all felt a little too surreal for Seraphina.</p><p>The woman who has been taking the lives of countless superheros, now sitting right across the table and having coffee with them?</p><p>It sounds absolutely insane.</p><p>But then again, what <em>hasn't</em> been insane lately?</p><p>The two girls gaze were trained on the woman, trying to read her in any way they could.</p><p>But all they could read off of her was a blank calm.</p><p>It was an air Remi was familiar with when talking to other investigators in the authorities.</p><p>Out of all the people she's met, they all seemed exactly the same: calm...sympathetic...collected.</p><p>And all inheritly <em>fake</em>.</p><p>Valerie welcomed them back, Remi apologizing for her rudeness earlier.</p><p>The woman only waved it off, a faint smile gracing her lips. "It's quite alright Remi. I understand that this subject isn't easy to talk about."</p><p>The smile dropped from her lips but Remi felt no weight to the woman's next words as she spoke. "Arlo's been telling me more about your brother and he sounds like he was a wonderful person. I truly am sorry for what happened to him Remi and I'm sorry for talking ill of your brother."</p><p>The girl only nodded, keeping her eyes down towards the table. "Yeah...I am too..."</p><p>Remi nudged Seraphina's leg with her foot, a silent que they had agreed upon.</p><p>Time to put their plan to work.</p><p>Seraphina looked down at her phone, her eyebrows going up. "Hm?"</p><p>She tapped on the screen slightly, faking dialing a number and held the silent device to her ear, though her and Remi knew no one was calling her.</p><p>"Hello? Really? Hm...ok, we'll be there soon Blyke."</p><p>Seraphina looked to Arlo and Remi, feigning a rushed tone. "That was Blyke. He says he needs our help, asap."</p><p>Arlo raised an eyebrow. "What? And does it have to be right now? We still have to talk to Val about Jo-"</p><p>"<em>I know what I said Arlo.</em><em>" </em>She quickly interrupted the blonde. "However, this is quite important. We're going to have to talk about this some other time."</p><p>Seraphina looked to to the woman across the table as she started standing up and grabbing her coat. "I'm terribly sorry to cut this short Val."</p><p>The woman gave a small smile. "It's not a problem. I understand that duty calls." She stood up as well, preparing to send them off.</p><p>She looked to the pinkette who started pulling on her coat. "And Remi?" Said girl looked at Valerie, keeping her composer as she stared into those burning irises that seemed to engulf her. "I'll try talking with my colleagues and see if they've found anything regarding your brother."</p><p>Remi nodded, a small smile on her face. "Thank you. I appreciate it."</p><p>Arlo sighed as he stood up. "Take care aunt Val. We should catch up at some point when we're not so crunched for time."</p><p>The woman nodded, giving the teen a small hug. "I'll let you know when I'm off of work and you can stop by my apartment for some coffee. How does that sound?"</p><p>The blonde gave a small smile and nodded, hugging her back slightly before pulling away and waving her goodbye.</p><p>"See you soon!"</p><p>Valerie waved as the three left, taking her seat back down at the table.</p><p>She couldn't help the small smirk that crossed her face as she sipped on her drink.</p><p>'Arlo, you really do surprise me... you've surrounded yourself with people you call friends yet they are nothing more than criminals. Especially that Blyke kid...'</p><p>She looked down at her phone, texting an unknown number.</p><p>
  <em>Valerie: /change of plans. We're going for the target this weekend./</em>
</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>Blyke huffed as he waited for the others to get back.</p><p>It was cold, he was tired and he really just wanted to be back inside watching an episode of "Dragon Orbs" but no.</p><p>He could not believe he and Isen had to do this.</p><p>But, Remi said it was an emergency and that they had to come up with something insane. </p><p>So, having Isen dangle off the edge of the roof to the boys dorm seemed like a good idea at the time.</p><p>But even with Isen's brute strength, they ran into a snag. More accurately Isen <em>himself</em> ran into a snag.</p><p>Instead of dangling there by his arms with his ability active, he was now just hanging there by his coat because the dumb*ss was fooling around, slipped, caught his sleeve on a loose nail stretched the hell out of it, and was now just dangling about 80 feet above the ground by his winter coat.</p><p>Oh, and did Blyke need to mention Isen was scared of heights?!</p><p>The pumpkin haired teen had gone pale, trying not to look at the ground as Blyke called up to him. "They should be here soon! How are you doing?!"</p><p>Isen shut his eyes, going a bit green as he looked down towards the ground and shut his eyes. "DO I REALLY HAVE TO ANSWER THAT BLYKE?!"</p><p>Blyke shook his head with a sigh, rubbing the bridge of his nose. </p><p>Even though he had become a high tier now, Blyke's abilities were limited when it came to his energy propulsion. If his angle was off, Isen would either crash to the ground, or get flung into the building. Not to mention the tiles up on the roof were still slick from the rain and having Blyke also hanging on for dear life wasn't something they needed to add to the list.</p><p>However, Remi and Arlo's abilities were much more diverse.</p><p>For one thing, Remi could increase or decrease the friction around her feet thanks to her electricity and would have a much better chance of pulling Isen up as she could have a better grip on the tiles.</p><p>For another, Arlo could create platforms using his barrier to help him get through either a window or back down to the ground.</p><p>Although Isen's ability could allow him to jump and land further distances, it did not exclude him from the laws of gravity from falling from the top of a 5 story building.</p><p>Blyke looked over as he saw the three jog over to him. "Oh, thank you for getting here quickly. It's Isen. He's...kinda in a situation."</p><p>The three looked up and Remi gasped. "ISEN?!"</p><p>the teen looked down, the wind picking up and causing him to squeal. "GET ME DOWN FROM HERE!"</p><p>Arlo sighed as he face palmed. "For the love of-!" He sighed as he started heading into the building. "Hold on Isen! I'll get you down!"</p><p>He ran up through the boys dorms and got to the 5th floor, activating his barrier underneath Isen.</p><p>As Arlo was busy getting Isen down from the roof, Remi turned to Blyke and smacked him on the arm. "Really?! When I said 'think of something distracting,' I didn't mean have Isen dangle off the roof about to plummet to his death!"</p><p>Blyke sighed. "It's not like we tried to! Isen was just gonna be stuck up there and hang off the ledge by his arms. He wasn't supposed to-"</p><p>"FINALLY!" The three looked over as Isen face-planted onto the ground, kissing it as if it were the love of his life. "Sweet ground...! I missed you so much...!"</p><p>Arlo huffed as he walked back outside, staring at the teen who was splayed out on the frosted grass. Isen looked up and raised his hands, bowing before Arlo as if he was some merciful deity. "Thank you for having mercy on me."</p><p>The blonde rolled his eyes crossing his arms as he stared at Isen, wondering how in the world one could be so stupid. "Mind telling us why you were hanging from the roof of the boys dorm?"</p><p>Isen huffed. "Everything was going smoothly until I slipped on a tile and got my coat stuck on a nail!"</p><p>Remi shook her head. "Why weren't you more careful up there?!"</p><p>Isen shot up and pointed an accusing finger at her. "Hey! You asked us to create a distraction and we created a distracti-!...ah..." Isen raised an eyebrow when the three were waving their arms, trying to tell him to shut up.</p><p>Isen grew pale as he slowly looked upwards at Arlo's darkened expression. "...and I now realize my mistake a little too late..."</p><p>Arlo turned to Remi, stomping over to her. "You have three seconds to start explaining yourself right now!" Blyke pushed her back away from the seething blonde before Seraphina spoke up. </p><p>"Remi, we have to tell him." The pinkette quickly shook her head. "What? No! I told you he'd never believe us!"</p><p>Arlo crossed his arms. "Tell me <em>what</em> exactly?" Remi peaked up and went pale at Arlo's rage filled expression.</p><p>She eventually sighed, realizing she didn't have much of a choice right now. "Let's go somewhere more private...I don't want other students to hear about this."</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>Everyone sat somewhere in Remi's room, listening to the girl recount all the information from her, Blyke and Isen's outings in the streets of lower tier districts.</p><p>The pinkette sat on her bed, Seraphina occupying her desk chair, Blyke and Isen sitting next to her dresser or on the floor by her bed and Arlo standing with his back leaning against the door.</p><p>As Remi finished and looked to the others, she could see Arlo barely containing his rage. He had his head turned away but his knuckled were bright white as he gripped the sleeves of his shirt. </p><p>Isen was more terrified than when he was hanging off the building just a few minutes ago by the time Remi finished. "You mean to say...you actually ran into Volcan?!" </p><p>The pinkette ran her hands through her hair before nodding. "I'm 90% sure that it was her."</p><p>"Well 90% isn't enough." </p><p>The four turned to look at Arlo, who still stood there in rage. His face was pulled into a deep scowl, looking ready to burn a hole through the floor.</p><p>Remi wasn't surprised. The blonde hadn't been with them and knew little to nothing about what happened that night. "How dare you Remi! How dare you assume that my aunt is a killer! She is a respected member of the authorities and an honest person and after only meeting her <b>once</b>, you think that she's somehow connected to a damn terrorist organization like EMBER?!"</p><p>Remi looked up at him. "You may be able to trust your aunt and the authorities, but I don't! After months of nothing from them, after months of superheros being murdered and branded with EMBER's insignia, I don't trust them to figure any of this out anymore! I don't know if Valerie is Volcan or even if she's a part of EMBER, but we can't trust her right now, not with so much on the line!"</p><p>Arlo stood up from where he was leaning against the door and pointed a finger at the girl, almost going red with anger. "All the authorities have ever done is try to protect us and here you are saying that my aunt, someone who WORKS for them, is tied to a damn shadow organization! How far down the rabbit hole have you dug yourself Remi?! How many other ridiculous theories have you come up with?!"</p><p>Remi stood up as well. "It's not just a stupid theory Arlo! I have proof-!"</p><p>"Then where is it?! Where's your proof?! And is it even reliable or are you just so desperate to figure out who killed Rei that you're willing to pin it on the first blonde woman you see?!"</p><p>Remi took a step back.</p><p>Arlo's words stung, but as she stood there thinking about it, he was right.</p><p>What proof did she have besides a hunch and some choppy footage?</p><p>Volcan was in a full face mask, dressed head to toe in black when Isen shot that video. Not to mention it was the middle of the night when everything was filmed.</p><p>Isen didn't get anything from after she murdered Alana so they couldn't show Arlo her ability either.</p><p>That also begged the question...</p><p>She looked at Arlo, her voice serious. "Arlo, this is going to sound completely out of the blue, but what is your aunt's ability?"</p><p>Arlo raised an eyebrow in complete bewilderment. "What?!"</p><p>Why the hell was she asking that?! </p><p>Arlo looked at her in disgust. Even after having almost no proof, she was still willing to try and pin this on Valerie?! How low could she get?!</p><p>He had no obligation to tell her anything, <em>especially</em> after these ludicrous claims she was putting up!</p><p>But, he told her anyways, wanting the girl to finally stop this ridiculous idea and put it to rest.</p><p>"Her ability is a variation of my barrier."</p><p>Remi's eyes went wide before she sat down, crestfallen and head in her hands. "I...I was so sure..."</p><p>Isen patted her knee slightly in an attempt to comfort her. "Hey, it's ok Remi..."</p><p>Seraphina looked to Arlo, finally deciding to speak up. "Arlo, when you say 'variation,' how much of a variation are we talking about?"</p><p>The blonde raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"</p><p>Seraphina sat up. "I mean, how different is her ability compared to yours?"</p><p>Everyone went silent as Seraphina continued. "We don't know if her ability may only have a mild difference or if it's entirely different with the same basic functions as yours. Abilities tend to vary as they get passed down from generation to generation, be they stronger or weaker. I know my moms ability is almost the same as mine. The only difference is that I'm faster than her, but it still counts as a variation."</p><p>Blyke nodded slightly, seeing where she was going with this. "Yeah. I know my mom's ability is different from mine as hers is more heat focused while mine is more energy focused now. And since Valerie is your aunt Arlo, that means her ability is going to differ more than if she was your parent."</p><p>Seraphina nodded in agreement, turning back to face Arlo. "So, what <em>exactly</em> is her ability and how much does it differ from yours?"</p><p>Arlo shut his eyes. It had honestly been awhile since he last saw his aunt use her ability but it was still the same. "She has the ability to create a flame barrier. Like mine, it can stop others attacks but instead of reflecting the attacks back to it's user, it redirects them."</p><p>Blyke's eyes went wide. "Wait! That's what Volcan did with your lightning attacks Remi! She was able to divert your bolts away from her!"</p><p>Remi and Isen both looked at him in shock before Arlo spoke up. "Now hold on, all of you! I said my aunt has a fire <em>barrier</em>. You said before that this Volcan person has fire <em>claws</em>. Those are two entirely different abilities with entirely different kit sets."</p><p>Isen sighed. "He's right..."</p><p>Remi thought for a second. "But...don't you think it could be a possibility Arlo?"</p><p>The blonde huffed, resting his head in his hand. "Remi, there is absolutely nothing you can do to convince me that my aunt is Volcan or connected to EMBER or that they're connected to the authorities. Now, unless you have any other crazy theories to discuss, I'm going to go call my aunt to apologize to her for just leaving her like that."</p><p>The pinkette stared at the floor before the idea hit her. "Wait!"</p><p>Arlo stopped as her looked to her, having just about enough of this madness. "What is it now?"</p><p>Remi bit her lip. What she was about to suggest was absolutely insane. There was a 98% chance that Arlo would say no. But, if Arlo wanted proof, than she would ask him to help her find proof. </p><p>"You said you wanted some solid evidence? Then fine, I'll get it. But you are coming with me."</p><p>Arlo's eyes went wide as the thought finally dawned on him. "You don't mean-"</p><p>Remi nodded. "If you want evidence that Valerie is Volcan, than we'll just have to find her again."</p><p>Isen immediately stood up. "WHAT?!" Blyke did the same running his hands through his hair. "Remi, NO. You just got on me the other night for going out and doing this sh*t! Now you want to go find Volcan AGAIN with Arlo?!"</p><p>Arlo walked forward, standing right in front of the pinkette. "Are you really that insane Remi?! I already lost Rei and there's no way in hell I'm losing you too!" </p><p>Remi walked over and grabbed the binder filled with article clippings and photos off the table, shoving it towards Arlo. "You said you wanted solid proof that EMBER and the authorities are connected, right? Then read through this and I'll show you <em>exactly</em> what they've been hiding from us all along." </p><p>Seraphina stared at Remi. "You mean...?"</p><p>Remi nodded. </p><p>It was ironic in a way. She had stopped this whole crusade to figure out who EMBER was, not wanting anyone else to get hurt thanks to her actions. But now, she was going back.</p><p>But this time, it wasn't for revenge. It was to find the truth. </p><p>It was to find out the truth of who EMBER really is, of who is helping them and why. It was to bring to light exactly what's been happening to all these superheroes behind shadows and closed doors.</p><p>Remi gave a faint smile. "I know I said I would stop. But this involves more than just my brother now. This involves hundreds of low tiers living in fear. This involves mid tiers taking over entire districts. This involves amplifiers and chaos and all sorts of unknowns. But we have to step up, not just as high tiers, but as the only one's who have any idea of what's been happening."</p><p>Arlo stared a Remi who looked back, wanting-no-pleading with the blonde to help her. </p><p>"We have to do this because if we don't, who will?"</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Chapter 26: end.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0029"><h2>29. Deal?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Blinds were drawn across closed windows and whispers were thrown about. Though the people whom they belonged to were not present themselves, acting like specters throwing their voices to scare intruders.</p><p>It was hard to focus on what anyone was saying at this point, the jumbled tones becoming nothing more than background noise to the lone person sitting in the room.</p><p>Everything had become a confused blur for John as he listened to the two people arguing outside the door to the room he was in.</p><p>He didn't know why he was in a conference room of all things, but he didn't really care at this point.</p><p>He was tired, he couldn't focus and he wanted nothing more than to bust open one of those windows and scale the building.</p><p>But once again, Keon knew him all too well for the escape artist he was.</p><p>His wrists were secured to the table and they had locked all the windows, even going as far as to bar them off.</p><p>No one was taking any chances, especially after John almost made it out the first time he was in their care.</p><p>.........................</p><p>
  <em>A much younger ravenette looked back and forth at the people leading him down the hallway.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>They were taking him back to his room to clean up from his most recent lessons with his instructor.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The young teen wasn't having any more of this bullsh*t.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>He wanted nothing to do with the man anymore.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>He didn't want the man coming anywhere near him or messing with his mind again.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>So, he was getting the f*ck outta dodge and escaping this hellhole.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>As they stopped in front of the door, John made his move.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>He kicked the guard to his left in the crotch, causing the man to howl and drop his keys. He then grabbed the other guard and punched him in the face, a satisfying crack emitting from his nose as John snatched up the keys and bolted.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>He dashed through multiple hallways, adrenaline filling him to the brim. He was struggling to find the keys to open his cuffs but knew he</em>
  <em> was getting out of here, one way or another.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Eventually though, he cracked open the cuffs and let them clatter to the floor, not once looking back as he heard several sets of feet thundering against the ground not too far behind him.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>John ran up the stairs and burst through the door leading out into the building's main lobby.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>His eyes went wide when he saw multiple security guards and other random strangers lock onto him as he booked it for the door.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"STOP THAT KID!"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>He saw people start closing in on him but he kept running, sliding under a mans arm and slipping out of the grasp of another woman.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>He could see the door handle in his sights and for a brief moment, he found a smile cracking at his face.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>He could make it...</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>He could finally get out of here...</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Bruised fingers barely brushed against the stainless steel bar when the hair on the back of his neck stood up.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>John knew what this meant but he had little time to react.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>He cried out as the blast hit him square in the head, smacking his skull against the door and cracking the glass all the way to the top of it's frame.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The young ravenette slumped to the floor, his eyes staring up at the ceiling as a red glow washed over his once light gold irises.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Through his disoriented haze, he could vaguely make out someone standing over him, their eyes glowing a bright blue as they planted their foot securely on his chest.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Going somewhere John?"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The teen didn't know what was happening as his vision drifted from reality to chaotic flashes of his past.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span class="u">
    <em>He was being hoisted up by two bullies...</em>
  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span class="u">
    <em>They dragged him away down a dirt path behind the school...</em>
  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span class="u">
    <em>They were mumbling things to one another as they carried him through a part of the woods...</em>
  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span class="u">
    <em>Eventually, they stopped at a nearby creak and shoved him forward...</em>
  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span class="u">
    <em>John couldn't breathe as he hit the water, gasping and gagging as he pulled his aching body towards the surface of the neck deep stream...</em>
  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>It all faded away and John couldn't help the cry that left his throat as he shot up, his head spinning and a hot liquid running down his face.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>He looked around and once again, he was back in his holding cell.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>John sat there in confusion as everything finally dawned on him.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>He hadn't made it out...</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>He failed...</em>
</p><p>
  <em>.........................</em>
</p><p>The ravenette snapped his head up as the door opened, the two people screaming at one another finally becoming clear.</p><p>"Enough! I'll talk to him but that's it! Nothing more, nothing less!"</p><p>He physically jumped as a woman entered the room, slamming the door shut behind her.</p><p>Wavy, lavender locks cascaded down past the woman's shoulders as she looked up, her gaze resting on John.</p><p>She was dressed in casual business attire and her emerald eyes held a sense of familiarity to John.</p><p>It was a look that held a calm, but radiant power.</p><p>He's seen that gaze before...but from where?</p><p>The woman's eyes went as wide as saucers upon seeing the teen. "What...what have they been doing to you?!"</p><p>She quickly rushed over and John leaned away from the woman, his voice coming out cold and harsh. "...Who the hell are you?"</p><p>The woman took a step back, taking note of the guarded look the teen held, how he looked ready to fight at a moment's notice.</p><p>And why wouldn't he be?</p><p>There was blood staining his skin and his clothes, fresh bruises starting to bloom across his skin and his wrists had been left bleeding and raw from how long they had been restrained.</p><p>It was unpleasant to see and she was sure it felt even worse for the teen to be stuck in so much pain. </p><p>Her eyes drifted down to his wrists. She carefully reached over as John leaned away from her further, eyes burning with hate and hands clenched.</p><p>Leilah raised her hand slightly, showing him the key in her other hand.</p><p>"Easy...I'm just unlocking your cuffs."</p><p>His eyes flickered between her and the object in her hands.</p><p>There was no trust in his gaze but he watched her as she did what she said, the cuffs clicking open and John quickly snatching his arms out of the metal brace.</p><p>The teen moved away from her, falling out of the chair with a hiss. "Stay away from me...!"</p><p>Leilah's eyes sparked to life as everything went grey scaled, all except for her and John's eyes which had gone wide with shock.</p><p>She sighed as she took a step back from the teen who was frozen to the floor. "I'm not going to hurt you John. If I had wanted to, I would've done so already just like everyone else here."</p><p>The ravenette still seemed unconvinced.</p><p>Biting her lip slightly, she unfroze the teen completely.</p><p>The ravenette sat back against one of the table legs, looking around slightly at the now colorless surroundings. The woman let her eyes dull, the freeze wearing off as something seemed to click for the teen. "You're...you're Seraphina's sister...aren't you?"</p><p>Her eyes went a bit wide. She hadn't expected him to pick up on that so quickly. But then again, Darren had mentioned that him and Sera were friends.</p><p>The woman nodded. "And you're that friend she has, aren't you?"</p><p>At the mention of friends, John's eyes went dark. He looked away, keeping his gaze pointed at the floor.</p><p>"Not anymore..."</p><p>Leilah raised an eyebrow. From the way Darren had described the two, they seemed almost inseparable.</p><p>What changed?</p><p>She knelt down in front of him but John only moved away, his face forming into a scowl. "Back. Off." His eyes glowed but only faintly. </p><p>She knew it was only a scare tactic, however, Leilah took the hint and instead sat down on the floor opposite to him, leaning against the wall.</p><p>The distance and the silence that followed was awkward.</p><p>But why wouldn't it be?</p><p>John was talking to his ex-best friend's older sister after being captured by a government run terrorist organization.</p><p>And yet surprisingly, that wasn't the strangest part.</p><p>John stared at her as she looked at him, her stare calm and open. He wanted to ask questions but at the same time, this could all just be a ruse by Keon.</p><p>Build his trust, tear him down. That's what the man did before.</p><p>And that's what Arlo did before too...</p><p>Leilah shifted awkwardly as she crossed her legs. "So...what happened between you two?"</p><p>And there it was.</p><p>Like hell he was going to tell her. He narrowed his eyes as he pulled his good leg to his chest. "And why the f*ck would I tell you? So you and your lackeys can just use <b>that</b> against me too? Just because you're the sister of someone I know, doesn't mean I'm going to open my f*cking heart up to you."</p><p>Leilah scratched the back of her head slightly. "John...believe me, I'm not here because what I think they're doing to you is right. I'm here because people I love have gotten hurt and threatened by these maniacs. Right now, you're my only ticket at keeping them safe. But that doesn't mean I don't care."</p><p>The ravenette shook his head slightly, not believing her. "...then what exactly do you want from me?"</p><p>Leilah looked away. She was here because Keon had asked her to, because they needed the vulnerable teen on their side now.</p><p>Keon and Marcella had already done the bitter work of tearing the teen down, of breaking him. He was still violent but his flame had simmered down to mere embers now, having nothing left to fuel the once roaring fire.</p><p>But she wasn't about to break him down just for Keon's sake.</p><p>Leilah rested her head in her hand. "Unlike them, I want to help you John. This isn't right and I'm not going to keep sitting around letting them do this to you."</p><p>The teen across from her let a chuckle escape his throat. It was devoid of any humor, only filled with a bitter hate and something close to nostalgia.</p><p>John shook his head. "Believe me, if you've seen all the things I've done and everything that's happened between me and your sister, you'd leave me here to rot too."</p><p>He was right. Leilah had heard from Darren all the things that had been happening at the school.</p><p>She had only heard brief happenings of what occurred between Seraphina and John, Darren having been told by the girl that the two of them were no longer on speaking terms.</p><p>Leilah didn't know what happened specifically, but right now, she wasn't going to judge the teen on his past actions.</p><p>Leilah kept her composer. "I know that you didn't tell her about your abilities..."</p><p>She visibly saw the teen seize up, his eyes going a bit wide. However, she continued. "I know about you becoming Joker and I know about you beating the royals senseless. And judging from what you just said and what I know, I take it Sera found out, didn't she?"</p><p>John said nothing but his fingers curling into the palms of his hands and his nails nipping at his flesh gave her enough of an indicator.</p><p>Leilah pulled her knees to her chest. "But...as with almost everything, I take it there's a reason you didn't tell her, isn't there?"</p><p>At first, she thought she wasn't going to get anything from the teen. But John eventually found himself opening his mouth. "Why do you think I had a reason...? What if I just did it because I wanted to?"</p><p>It was Leilah's turn to give a very brief chuckle. "Then I know you'd be lying to both of us. I know what my sister was like...or at least I thought I did. She was always uptight and never-"</p><p>"Never wanted to try anything new..." John finished her sentence.</p><p>Her eyebrows went up in shock. "Yeah...exactly. But now she's not."</p><p>John shook his head, his eyes glazing over with unseen images. </p><p>Unlike how Leilah was referencing him as a positive influence, John knew he was anything but.</p><p>His bad habits had rubbed off on Seraphina; skipping classes, doing insane things, reading banned books. It was all because of him.</p><p>And look at where he had gotten her.</p><p>She was now more miserable and alone than ever thanks to him. </p><p>She had lost her reputation, any friends she had made with the royals, her title, and even her powers.</p><p>John sighed as he rested his head against the table leg, staring at the ceiling slightly. "I should've never met her...I should've just kept to myself..."</p><p>Leilah sat up straighter, confusion and a faint current of concern crossing her face. "What? Why would you think that? If you both made each other happier than why-?"</p><p>"Because she's not happy now, is she?!" John turned his glare towards her. "Look at all the sh*t that's happened to her since she's met me! She's lost everything because of <b>me</b>! Her reputation her old friends, her powers, <em>everything!</em>"</p><p>John closed his eyes as his voice dropped, his tone low and quiet. "She has nothing now thanks to me..."</p><p>He didn't know why he was telling her. It's not like it would make much of a difference in the end.</p><p>But maybe it was because if this really was it for him, he didn't want to be buried alone with his thoughts.</p><p>The woman across from him raised an eyebrow but remained silent as John continued.</p><p>The ravenette rested his head on his knee, his thoughts starting to catch up to him. "I did this all for her...and I guess I did it for me too in a way. I was done with this stupid hierarchy. I was done with us getting beaten up everyday just because we couldn't or wouldn't use our abilities. She had already lost enough and I didn't want to add on to that pain by telling her what I am."</p><p>Leilah looked away slightly. Obviously, she felt responsible for what had happened to Seraphina.</p><p>But...was she also part of the reason John had turned to such drastic measures?</p><p>Leilah spoke up slightly. "Then, why didn't you just dethrone your current king when you arrived at Wellston? Wouldn't that have been easier?"</p><p>John gave a dry chuckle. "No, it wouldn't have...I didn't even want that damned title...I stayed away from the throne so that I could avoid all of this from happening <em>again</em>."</p><p>The lavender haired woman remained silent. 'Again? So this has happened before...'</p><p>John ran a hand through his hair. "But no matter what I did, that stupid blonde f*ck brought me back here all over again...I'm stuck here now because of BOTH of them...and they won't let me go...they won't let me leave this place...but, maybe this is what I deserve...maybe it's karma I guess..."</p><p>Johns voice began to break as he looked down at his arm, the grizzly wounds adorning his flesh leaving little to the imagination.</p><p>Leilah could feel her heart break as the teen stared down at the twisted reminder of what these people had done to him.</p><p>"I'm...I'm going to die here, aren't I...? They're going to kill me here...they're either going to kill me or use me as their puppet to kill others..." He quickly covered his face, failing at holding himself together.</p><p>He thought he had come to terms with this...</p><p>He thought he had accepted that this was his fate and that there was no changing it...</p><p>So why was he still <em>scared</em>? Why was he still angry?</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>"John, I want you to promise me: no matter what you do with these abilities, don't kill people with them. I now you've been through a lot in your life, but taking someone else's life is never an answer. You kill someone and you will find yourself walking down a path you can't come back from."</em>
</p><p> </p><p>That's right...</p><p>He had made that promise ages ago.</p><p>But it was a promise he swore to his dad he would uphold and he hasn't broken it yet.</p><p>Maybe that's also why he was fighting so hard to avoid helping them...</p><p>It went against everything his dad believed in and his dad was the very last person he would ever turn his back on.</p><p>Breaking that promise would break William and John knew he could never hurt the man like that.</p><p>John was trying to keep it together, trying to stay strong and not let what they've done to him affect him.</p><p>But he wasn't strong...he wasn't brave or fearless or cunning.</p><p>He was weak and pathetic and he couldn't for the life of him show otherwise because it was the truth and all the others would just use it to their advantage.</p><p>John buried his face in his hands as he tried to hold back the emotions that had begun to poison him, eating away at his mind.</p><p>He wasn't going to let them out. He wasn't going to break again in front of this woman.</p><p>The last time he had willingly broken down in front of another human, the first one tortured him for three months and the other eventually walked away.</p><p>Leilah found herself moving to sit down next to him, refusing to budge. She carefully guided the teen into a side hug, one that was small and uncomfortable, but not un-welcomed.</p><p>The ravenette couldn't help but find his resolve breaking. </p><p>John felt the liquid gush down his face as he finally sank into Leilah, the woman taking on his weight as she hugged him tighter.</p><p>John covered his face as Leilah settled next to him, holding him in a side hug.</p><p>Deep down, John was grateful she hadn't just grabbed him and anchored him down.</p><p>Everyone else had already done that enough, clutching onto him as if he was nothing more than a toy that had been labelled as theirs.</p><p>This felt more secure, more open even.</p><p>It was the first time in a long time that he felt safe.</p><p>The last time he felt like this was...<br/><br/></p><p>......................</p><p>
  <em>"What's wrong with you? You look like you haven't slept all night."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The ravenette shook his head as he plopped down next to the girl, resting his head on his knees.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>He hadn't slept a wink last night, his nightmares keeping him wide awake.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>He had good and bad nights and last night just happened to be bad. But he wasn't going to tell her. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>They were just nightmares and they had been getting less frequent over the year. No use in talking about something that wasn't that big of a deal.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Seraphina nudged the ravenette as he looked at her, eyes tired and unamused. "Mmm what?"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The girl shook her head. "You really need to work on your sleep schedule."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>He only huffed, his eyes starting to drift close again.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>She nudged him once more which earned a huff and an annoyed groan. "Whaaat?" </em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Hey, don't fall asleep like that. You're gonna wake up in an even worse mood."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>John sat up slightly, his eyes open halfway. "Then...what...suggest I do...?"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>She moved his bag from next to him and placed it on the ground beside her. "Not as comfy as your pillow, but I think it should d-"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>She didn't even get to finish as John plopped down onto the bag.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>John faintly remembered mumbling something about what would happen if someone came up. Seraphina may be the Ace now, but that didn't mean people wouldn't try doing stupid sh*t to him.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>It was faint, but he could hear Seraphina's smile on her lips as she continued on with her game.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Don't worry. I'll keep an eye on you. Just get some sleep already."</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>......................</em>
</p><p>He knew it was a temporary comfort, that this little moment of peace would too be ripped out of his hands, but he couldn't help but savor this moment however strange it was for him.</p><p>The lavender haired woman couldn't help the few tears that ran down her face as well.</p><p>If it were up to her, she'd grab John and run out the door right this minute.</p><p>This feeling of isolation, of being trapped, of having no way to escape...</p><p>It was eerily familiar to how she felt back when she lived with her parents. She always felt terrified, always pressured and always having that edge of fear creeping up on her that she would always be trapped in this nightmare.</p><p>She understood John's fear all too well and she didn't want him to suffer like this anymore.</p><p> </p><p>But she couldn't save him.</p><p>If she did, Darren and Sera would pay for her mistakes.</p><p>Keon had already threatened her with Darren and prevented Seraphina from ever getting results from the hospital. If she took John now, who knows what would happen to them?</p><p>But what would happen to John if they kept him any longer?</p><p>Would they eventually kill him?</p><p>Or would they turn him into a mindless puppet?</p><p> </p><p>John rubbed his eyes, his breathing finally evening out. He shuffled away from the woman slightly, not wanting to get used to this.</p><p>The two had no time to react before John was restrained and dragged back out again, casting a small glance to the woman.</p><p>All that pain he tried to hide was laid out before her with that small look.</p><p>It was all it took for Leilah to make up her mind.</p><p>She would get him out of here one way or another.</p><p>She just didn't know how yet...</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Chapter 27: end.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0030"><h2>30. Run</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em> <b>/-^v-BEEP-^v-/</b> </em>
</p><p> </p><p>'...hm?'</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> <b>/-^v-BEEP-^v-/</b> </em>
</p><p> </p><p>'That noise...'</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> <b>/-^v-BEEP-^v-/</b> </em>
</p><p> </p><p>'What is that noise...?'</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> <b>/-^v-BEEP-^v-/</b> </em>
</p><p> </p><p>'Where am I...?'</p><p> </p><p>Tired eyes cracked open to face the ceiling, the bright lights burning into his pupils.</p><p>He hissed at the burning pain in his eyes before he looked around at his blurry surroundings. Though he couldn't make out much besides the window by the wall and the small table next to the bed.</p><p>He felt the blankets covering his body and the slightly uncomfortable mattress supporting his back before his mind registered that horrid beeping again.</p><p>'Where is that noise coming from?!'</p><p>He looked to the side and could vaguely make out the heart rate monitor, its various colored lines streaking across the screen.</p><p>'A heart monitor...? Why am I hooked up to a heart monitor?'</p><p>He thought for a second before his blank memories filled in.</p><p>The man audibly gasped and almost bolted upright were it not for something clamped down over his wrists.</p><p>He hissed at the discomfort but frantically looked down at the leather straps holding his wrists down to the railing of the bed.</p><p>Alarms went off in his mind and that coupled with his most recent memories sent his mind spiraling into a collected panic.</p><p>'I have to get out of here...now.'</p><p>He yanked at his wrists but the straps were too tight to loosen. He tried stretching his fingers over to the end of the strap to pull at it and silently cheered when he managed to get his fingers in it and undo the strap from the prong it was lodged in.</p><p>He shook out his sore wrist and immediately undid the other strap.</p><p>The man sat up and looked around, searching for something.</p><p>He smacked his hand around the various objects on the side table next to him, hoping to any being out there that these people at least had the decency to leave them here.</p><p>Once his hand tapped the frames sitting on the table, he snatched them up and immediately perched them back on his face. He frowned at the spiderweb crack that was now lining the glass but knew it would have to do for now.</p><p>Now that his vision had returned, he looked around the room, the realization that he was in Wellston Central Hospital finally dawning on him.</p><p>He looked down at his arms, bandages wrapped securely around his hand and his shoulder.</p><p>The dull ache in his chest was uncomfortable, but he pushed through it as he reached over and turned off the monitor, not wanting to alert anyone.</p><p>He groaned as he shifted his numb legs over the edge of the bed, letting them drape down. Pushing himself up, he had to grip the table to keep his balance, pins and needles uncomfortably running up his limbs as his knees almost gave out.</p><p>'Ok...just one step at a time...'</p><p>He shifted his weight from foot to foot, shifting his grip from the side table to the IV stand. He was thankful that it was mobile as he gripped the metal pole and used it as a support.</p><p>He hobbled over to the end of the bed and picked up the clipboard, reading over the information.</p><p>He needed to see just what state he had been in.</p><p> </p><p>
  <b> <span class="u">==========================</span> </b>
</p><p>Patient Name: Arwel Vaughn</p><p>Date Admitted: 10/29/XX20</p><p>Condition Upon Admission: Critical</p><p>Injury(s) and/or Illness(s) description:</p><p> </p><p>•Patient suffers from grade 3 concussion as well as head trauma to the base of the temporal. Has skull fracture running from middle of Frontal to Nasal skull bones.</p><p> </p><p>•Atlas (C1) and Axis (C2) vertebrae were fractured and temporarily pinched a nerve along patients spine. Possible leg numbness expected.</p><p> </p><p>•Internal bleeding in stomach and chest cavities. Also had 4 broken ribs that needed to be braced.</p><p> </p><p>•Patient suffers from large impalement in their hand. Severed muscles and snapped ring and pinkie Metacarpal bones. May have difficulty moving in future and will need physical therapy to regain movement.</p><p> </p><p>•Several third degree burns on the upper chest, neck, arms and down span of back.</p><p> </p><p>•Multiple lacerations along body and other minor injuries.</p><p> </p><p>•Patient has full bone split fracture in the Femur and a break in the Fibula.</p><p>
  <b> <span class="u">==========================</span> </b>
</p><p> </p><p>The man's eyes went wide as he scanned over the record as well as the x-rays that accompanied it.</p><p>He tried to remember who had done this to him exactly, but all that came up were blank faces, the distant screams that had filled up the office that day, and the person behind some of those screams...</p><p>The man's eyes went wide as he remembered who else was with him that afternoon and he felt his blood run cold.</p><p>'No...'</p><p>Worry began running through him before the guilt started sinking its teeth into his mind.</p><p>'No, NO, <em><b>NO!</b></em>'</p><p>A hiss of pain escaped his lips as he ended up slamming a fist down on the edge of the bed frame.</p><p>He ran a shaking hand through his hair, trying to ease away the shock that had overcome him.</p><p>The teal haired man was supposed to be the students last line of defense! He was supposed to protect these kids! And yet, he had been so easily subdued by these maniacs. He was almost left for dead had it not been for whoever came in and pulled him out.</p><p>Vaughn's hand trembled as he held the clipboard, eyes wide with guilt at allowing these people to get their hands on one of his students. "Dammit, what have I done...?"</p><p>He froze when he heard footsteps, dropping the clipboard on the bed and rushing over to hide behind the storage cabinet in the room.</p><p>It was a few seconds before the door clicked open and Vaughn held his breath. He didn't know who was looking after him but if those leather straps holding him down were any indication, he could only assume that the authorities were involved.</p><p>Two people walked past the cabinet.</p><p>The first one was a doctor, short, lime green hair and lively, kind bronze eyes standing out against his dark toned skin.</p><p>Vaughn felt his pulse pick up when he spotted familiar curled periwinkle hair.</p><p>The man was briefly talking to the doctor and a flash of the past overtook Vaughn.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>"Strange...I thought you would be more cumbersome to deal with. Oh well. This just makes my job a whole lot easier." </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>The headmaster was 100% sure that if he saw the man turn around, he would see sapphire blue irises staring back.</p><p>The teal haired felt anger boil in his veins as he gripped the metal IV pole in his hand, emerald eyes burning with anger. </p><p>When the doctor and the detective both saw he was missing, Vaughn picked up the pole and swung at the cop.</p><p>
  <b> <em>*CLANG!*</em> </b>
</p><p>The periwinkle haired man dropped to the floor, out cold.</p><p>Vaughn looked over to the terrified doctor. The doctor held up his hands, not wanting a fight. The poor man looked absolutely terrified. </p><p>Vaughn sighed slightly, relaxing when he saw that this man wouldn't hurt him. "Look, I'm not going to hurt you. I want answers as to what's going on and I don't want anyone else from the authorities getting involved, got it?"</p><p>The man frantically nodded. Obviously he was terrified of Wellston's headmaster considering the fact he just knocked out a cop.</p><p>Vaughn looked the man directly in the eyes. "What's your name?"</p><p>The doctor bit his lip slightly. He didn't know whether or not to trust this man. He was dangerous. He was shaken up, his heart beating furiously in his chest. The man was terrified of the headmaster. </p><p>And why wouldn't he be?</p><p>He was a mid tier neurologist who could teleport objects. </p><p>The headmaster however was a god tier.</p><p>Despite that, the doctor shook his head slightly. "I...I can't tell you. I'm sorry."</p><p>Instead of facing rage like he had expected, the headmaster nodded. "Fair enough." The doctor looked at him, baffled as Vaughn sighed and sat on the bed. "I can see you're still afraid of me."</p><p>The doctor felt sweat collect at the back of his neck, his facial expression stiff. 'That's an understatement right there. I'm absolutely terrified!' </p><p>Vaughn scratched the back of his head. "Look, I won't hurt you. You're only doing your job. The only reason I knocked this man here out is because something happened at my school involving him specifically and I don't want him hurting any more people."</p><p>While the doctor was still petrified, he slowly raised an eyebrow, confused as to what his patient was talking about.</p><p>Vaughn adjusted his glasses. "Well, can you at least answer some questions I have?"</p><p>The doctor hesitated but eventually nodded to which, the other man continued. "What do the authorities want with me?"</p><p>The doctor shook his head slightly. "I-I don't know. I wish I did though...they've been here for weeks now, asking us when you would wake up, saying they wanted to ask you questions about a crime you're tied to."</p><p>Vaughn raised an eyebrow, complete bewilderment crossing his face. "'Crime?' What are they accusing me of exactly?"</p><p>It was the doctors turn to grow confused. "You...you already know what you did though...right?"</p><p>The teal haired man quickly shook his head no, concern flashing across his face.</p><p>The male felt sweat drip down his forehead. He was afraid to answer. For all he knew, Vaughn could be lying. This man had just demonstrated how easy it would be to knock him out and even leave. </p><p>But...he was still here, just sitting and talking with him.</p><p>Despite his mind screaming at his to keep quiet, he took a deep breath before answering. "They...they said you may have ties to EMBER and they wanted to take you into custody when you were awake and mostly healed." </p><p>Vaughn's eyes went as wide as saucers. "What...?!"</p><p>As it all settled in, the headmaster could feel anger start rolling through him, bursting through his normally calm and collected persona. </p><p>'These people...! First, they barge into my school and set the place on fire...then, they kidnap one of my students...now, they're trying to frame me for being tied to a terrorist organization?!'</p><p>The headmaster grit his teeth. "Those damn bastards...!"</p><p>The doctor raised an eyebrow, obviously still intimidated by the man sitting before him. </p><p>Vaughn looked up, regaining his composure. Now wasn't the time to lose his head. "Look, I don't know what these people have been telling you, but I'm <em>not</em> a criminal. I'm not tied to EMBER in any sort of fashion. I'm being framed. Most likely by the same people here..." He turned his gaze to the man on the floor.</p><p>The doctor eyed him, not knowing whether or not to believe him. "...you think the authorities are framing you?"</p><p>Vaughn nodded. "I don't think. I <em>know</em>." He looked over to the man on the floor. "That man right there...that's detective Kace. He was there in my office with intruders the afternoon that Wellston got lit up like a bonfire."</p><p>The doctor grew increasingly confused. "But...he said that his name was detective Clark! That he had just been transferred here. There's no way you would know him!"</p><p>Vaughn gestured to the unconscious man. "If you don't believe me, look at his badge. How would I know who this man is if I've never met him before now?"</p><p>The doctor eyed the man sitting before him and the cop laying on the floor. </p><p>The cop had never expressively shown his badge and even then, his hand was covering most of the name from what the neurologist could remember.  </p><p>With doubt on his mind, he slowly walked over and knelt down next to the unconscious man whose only injury was a bloody nose and a bruise along his temple. </p><p>It would be an easy heal when he woke up.</p><p>He looked at the leather flap sitting in his pocket before taking it and flipping it open. Sure enough, in bold letters along the badge was printed 'Detective Kace Quinton: Civil and Criminal investigation department.'</p><p>Bronze irises went wide as he looked up to the headmaster, understanding slowly dawning on him.</p><p>It all sounded a little too insane for the young neurologist to process. But with everything that's been happening lately, it wasn't too far outside the realm of possibility.</p><p>He stood up, holding the badge. "You said this man attacked you at the school...?" </p><p>The headmaster nodded. "He was there...he attacked me and one of my students."</p><p>He didn't know how else to get this man to understand, but he realized it didn't matter if the doctor believed him. He just needed him to help him get out of here in one piece and find John.</p><p>"Please...even if you don't believe me entirely, I need your help. One of my students is in grave danger and if I don't find him soon, the people who took him could very well kill him."</p><p>Upon hearing that, the doctor stood there, looking between the cop and his badge. He didn't know if he could trust this patient he had been assigned. But so far, all the evidence was saying he shouldn't trust the authorities at all.</p><p>This cop lied about his name and now most likely the reason why he was really here.</p><p>If what Vaughn said was true, they were going to take him the second he woke up to prevent him from telling others about what happened that day, to silence the only other person who knew the full story.</p><p>Taking a breath, he nodded. "Ok...I'll believe you...for now."</p><p>Vaughn nodded. "That's all I can ask for. Thank you."</p><p>The doctor nodded before running a hand through his short, green hair. Curiosity urged him to ask Vaughn about what happened. "So...what exactly happened at Wellston that day?"</p><p>The headmaster looked down a bit. "The authorities happened. Only, they weren't alone. I don't want to place you in any danger with them, but to bluntly put it, people from a certain shadow organization were there with them."</p><p>The doctor stared at him with terrified eyes, the badge slipping out of his hands and flopping to the floor. His skin went ashen as the blood drained from his face. "S-So...So the rumors are true...? That EMBER and the authorities are-...?" He couldn't bring himself to finish his sentence. </p><p>Vaughn solemnly to which, the doctor sat on the floor. "All this time...I thought my brother was just spouting nonsense...and yet, he was trying to warn me the whole time."</p><p>The headmaster looked at him. "Sir, are you ok?"</p><p>The doctor nodded after a minute. "Yeah..." He huffed before looking up at Vaughn. "So, I take it you need to leave this place before the authorities catch up to you?"</p><p>The headmaster nodded. "That was the plan. I can't let them catch me if I want to get to the bottom of all of this."</p><p>The doctor nodded as he stood up. "You should know, detective Kace here has an entire group waiting downstairs. They've been keeping tabs on you the entire time you've been here. But, I don't think they'll expect you to be awake so soon."</p><p>Vaughn raised an eyebrow before the doctor explained. "You weren't supposed to be awake for another 2 to 3 weeks. You actually woke up early."</p><p>The man scratched his beard slightly. 'Hmm...then I may be able to use this to my advantage.' </p><p>The teal haired man stood up, wobbling a little on his feet. "Then, looks like I'll be taking my leave."</p><p>The man waved his hands slightly. "Woah, woah, woah! You're in no shape to wander off like this! You're still healing."</p><p>Vaughn looked t the man. "I can't stay here. I'd only be placing people in danger."</p><p>The doctor placed a thumb and index finger on his chin, deep in thought. His head popped up as he got a spark in his eyes. "I know someone who would be willing to help!"</p><p>He quickly pulled out his phone and dialed a number really quickly. The tone rang through a few times before the other person picked up.</p><p>"Kayden? Listen, I need your help." There was a sigh on the other end before there was faint mumbling. The man rolled his eyes. "Kayden, you owe me for not telling mom about your little job you've taken on. I have yet to call in that favor."</p><p>The doctor pulled the phone away from his ear jumping as he heard the man rant about something along the lines of 'f*cking sibling code' and 'you're so damn lucky you can use that against me.'</p><p>Once he was done with his rant, the doctor held the phone back to his ear. "So, is that a yes?"</p><p>Vaughn heard a loud 'NO' and the doctors face dropped. He ran a dark hand over his face before he sighed. "Kayden, listen to me, you were right about you know who. I'm sorry I ever doubted you. But listen, <em>please</em>...I need your help. I have a patient here who's possibly under a death sentence by the authorities because he knows something about them hat he shouldn't."</p><p>The line went silent for a minute before this 'Kayden' sighed.</p><p>The doctor smiled slightly, thanking him and bidding this 'Kayden' goodbye before hanging up.</p><p>He looked to Vaughn. "Alright. Let's get your stuff together and get you out of here."</p><p>Vaughn raised an eyebrow. "Wait, what exactly is going on?"</p><p>The doctor grabbed a bag that had been placed in the corner. Vaughn assumed that one of the teachers had dropped it off for him at some point. "I called in someone to help. He's going to take you somewhere safe away from here."</p><p>The neurologist tossed Vaughn some clothing and stepped outside.</p><p>Once done, the doctor came back with a small container of medicine with a sheet on instructions of when to take them and how many to take. "Here. These are antibiotics for your injuries. Since you're leaving here far earlier than expected, you'll have to keep a sharp eye on your injuries and make sure they don't become infected."</p><p>Vaughn nodded as he carefully packed the medicine away in his bag. A question popped into his mind as he looked at the doctor. "Just out of curiosity, why are you helping me? I may be stronger, but that doesn't mean you couldn't have called for help."</p><p>The doctor scratched his head. "You're right on that part. Granted, I don't trust you at all. But...as a doctor, it's my job and sworn duty to look after my patients health and well being however that may be. And sense both are being threatened by these people, it's my job to make sure you stay healthy."</p><p>The teal haired man's eyebrows went up in surprise. His shock went away however as he gave a faint, but grateful smile. "Thank you. For everything really." </p><p>The doctor gave a faint smile and nodded. His phone buzzed in his pocket as a text lit up the screen. "Crap...looks like we'll have to meet him outside in the back."</p><p>Vaughn raised an eyebrow as he grabbed the bag. "Why? What's happening?"</p><p>The doctor put his phone up. "Authorities are everywhere. They're starting to surround the place since Kace hasn't checked back in yet. Kayden can't teleport in here since it would take too much of his energy. He wouldn't have enough to teleport you somewhere safe."</p><p>Vaughn nodded as he pulled the hood of his sweater over his head, trying to block his head and face out of sight. "So I take it we'll have to find him outside?"</p><p>The other man nodded as he quickly led Vaughn out of the room, making sure to be slow enough to where Vaughn could keep up without straining himself.</p><p>The doctor led Vaughn throughout a series of winding hallways, past other doctors and nurses. They had just gotten out of the elevator on the ground floor when someone spotted Vaughn. "HEY! YOU!" The doctor froze before nudging the teal haired man. "Go...! I'll see if I can hold him off!"</p><p>Vaughns eyes went wide before the orange eyed cop rushed them. </p><p>The doctor however tackled him, the two tumbling to the floor. 'Crap! He's a lot stronger than he looks!' Despite that, the neurologist did what he could to hold the man off, trying to buy the headmaster some time. It was a battle of fists before the white haired cop activated his ability. </p><p>His bronze eyes went wide as he realized just how outmatched he was against an elite. he tried pushing the man away, but he threw something at the doctor, pinning the green haired man to the floor. 'Nets?! Dammit, I can't break free!'</p><p>He looked up at the cop as he got up, only for a green aura to appear around the man and send him sprawling to the floor. He struggled to move even a finger as he seemed to be glued to the floor. "AUGH! WHAT THE HELL?! WHY CAN'T I MOVE?!"</p><p>The doctor looked behind him to see Vaughn standing there, arm outreached as his eyes glowed a bright green. He turned his attention back to the net and grabbing hold of the net, he managed to teleport it off of him. With a swift kick to the face, the cop was out.</p><p>He ran over to Vaughn and the two ran through the halls. The doctor huffed as he looked to the teal haired man. "T-Thank you for that...!" Vaughn nodded back. "No problem!" The two burst through the emergency doors into the back parking lot.</p><p>The area was vacant, dumpsters standing by there lonesome against the clean brick walls. It was empty, save for a man with pale red/purple hair and ruby red eyes who looked similar to the doctor. He was standing against the wall, perking up when he spotted the two. "Well look who's finally here-"</p><p>The doctor ran over. "Sarcasm later Kayden! The authorities are everywhere right now!" This got the other mans attention. "Ok. I know a place we can go where we can get help." The doctor nodded. "You'll have to go on ahead without me."</p><p>Kayden's eyes went wide. "Wait, WHAT?! Do you know what'll happen if they catch you?!"</p><p>The man huffed. "And do you know what'll happen if they catch BOTH of you?!"</p><p>His brother ran a hand over his face. "You're such a pain in my *ss, you know that?!"</p><p>The man smiled slightly. "Look, I can take care of myself from here. Let me know the location once you get there safely and I'll meet up with you eventually. But for now, you two need to go!"</p><p>Kayden sighed before nodding. "You better be careful." His sibling huffed. "Hey! That's my line!" Kayden only rolled his eyes. </p><p>Vaughn looked to the doctor. "Thank you for all your help. I'm sorry to have caused you so much trouble here."</p><p>The man smiled a bit. "Eh, what's life without a little risk? Anyways, take care of yourself Vaughn." He held out his hand to which the teal haired headmaster shook it. "You too Dr.-..." </p><p>The man raised an eyebrow before internally facepalming, realizing he didn't tell the man his name. "Kiel."</p><p>Vaughn nodded, a kind smile crossing his face. "Be careful out there Kiel."</p><p>Kiel only shrugged. "I'll see what I can do." He started walking away. "I'll see you both again soon!" He waved slightly before jogging off in the direction of the front parking lot. </p><p>The headmaster looked to Kayden. "So where is it we're going?"</p><p>The man nodded. "I guess you could say it's a safe house of sorts."</p><p>'Oh, the irony...' Vaughn thought. Still, he nodded. As long as it was safe from the authorities, he was fine with it.</p><p>Kayden's eyes glowed as he placed a hand on his shoulder. "Hang on."</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> <b>|/*VWOOSH*/|</b> </em>
</p><p> </p><p>And with that, the two were gone in a blur.</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Chapter 28: end.</p><p> </p><p>~/EXTRA\~</p><p>Name: Kiel</p><p>Level: 3.5</p><p>Ability: Object teleportation</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0031"><h2>31. Discovery</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>........................................</p><p>
  <em>Superheroes are never ordinary people.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>They have the power to save entire towns from the rule of tyrants and the ability to spread hope to those without it.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>It is a job that is by no means easy.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Being a hero means being a leader. You have to be ready to take charge and make calls that are risky and even downright dangerous.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>It also means you have to make sacrifices. You have to be ready to throw yourself on the line to save the innocent, to save those who cannot fight for themselves.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>But when your a superhero, it all comes down to doing what's right.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>It comes down to fighting for what you believe in.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>That's what Remi</em>
  <em> needed those around her to believe in too.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>It had been foolish of her to ask her friends to do something so reckless, to do something that she too had condemned them for at some point.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>But if she was going to figure out who truly was behind all of this, she needed their help.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>And like hell they were going to let her do it by herself.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Blyke agreed, not wanting the pinkette to venture into this alone.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>But when it came down to Isen and Arlo, the two boys were reluctant. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Isen was terrified of going back out there; into the same field where he had witnessed a death.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Alana's murder had deeply scarred the teen, reminding him of just how fragile they could be, how one slip up could mean the end for them.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>It scared him sh*t-less.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Remi sat down next to him, hands on his shoulders as she guided the pumpkin haired teen to look at her.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Isen, I know you're scared. Believe me, I am too. But we need your help. No one can hack and track like you can. If we're going to get to the root of all of this EMBER nonsense, we need you to help us."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The teen shut his eyes tightly, images of Alana's dying gaze etched into his mind. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>He didn't want to see Remi like that too. He didn't want to see her or Blyke or anyone else lying there, dying and bleeding out on the street.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Which is why he eventually nodded his head.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>As scared as he was, he knew if he also wasn't there that night, the pinkette would most likely be dead.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>He took a shaky breath as he opened his eyes again. "Ok...I'll do it."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The girl smiled brightly, her smile somewhat contagious as Isen spared one back. It faded from her face however as she looked to the blonde who had now migrated to the corner of the room, blue eyes frozen and sharp.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Remi tried not to shiver under such a cold gaze.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>She knew Arlo would be against helping them, especially after what she just proclaimed about his aunt. But if the now three teens had any chance of getting past Volcan and catching the culprits behind all these murders, they needed a god tier on their side. And o</em>
  <em>ut of the only three they knew, Arlo was the only viable candidate.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The girl started up but Arlo didn't even let her get a word out, holding a hand up to stop her.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Never...in all the time that I've known you Remi...have I </em>
  <b>
    <em>ever</em>
  </b>
  <em> heard something so ridiculous and delusional leave your mouth." His voice was just as hard and cold as his gaze.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Arlo ran a hand over his face. "Your brother died doing this exact thing Remi. He DIED. And now, you want to do the exact same thing that got him murdered?" </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Before Arlo could continue, Remi stopped him. "Arlo, what do you remember about Rei?"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The blonde raised an eyebrow. "What?"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Remi stared at him, eyes warm but stern. "I said; what do you remember about Rei?"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Arlo was silent for a second.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>There were many things he remembered about Rei. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>"I remember that he was strong, powerful. I remember that he always saw the best in everyone until they proved otherwise. He didn't take crap from anyone yet he was a complete air head. He was annoying as hell and half the time I just wanted to strangle him because of how insane he could be. I remember how much I disagreed with his ideals and even though we never saw eye to eye, he still respected my choices."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>He paused for a second, his eyes glancing to the floor. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Arlo's voice became a bit more quiet. "But above all that...I remember that he was kind; selfless. Even if it was hopeless, he tried to give everything he could to do what he thought was right."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Remi slowly nodded, her voice growing quiet. "Now you know why I'm trying to do this. Rei gave everything to make this world a better place. He did everything he could and gave it all he had. But unlike him, I'm not going into this alone."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Arlo focused his gaze on her sightly. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>The pinkette huffed. "I know this is dangerous. I know there are risks. But I'm not just gonna give up Arlo. Not when there are so many other people out there like Rei who are just trying to help people who can't fight for themselves. They're being wrongfully killed because they see the flaws in our society and are trying to change things for the better."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The blonde huffed. "Except nothing needs to change Remi. We have the hierarchy for a reason."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Remi narrowed her eyes. "That's because you haven't seen what's going on yet Arlo."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Arlo turned away slightly, going silent as he had no come back for the pinkette. However, another thought crossed his mind.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"...And what about your little theory? The one involving aunt Val? What if you're wrong?"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Remi nodded slightly, knowing Arlo would bring this up. "Then I'll swallow my pride and admit I was wrong. But truthfully Arlo, I </em>
  <em>
    <b>hope</b>
  </em>
  <em> I'm wrong about her."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The blonde turned over to Remi who stared at him with worried eyes as she continued. "She's your aunt. I know you love and care about her. I don't </em>
  <b>
    <em>want</em>
  </b>
  <em> to believe that she's a killer Arlo. And I really do hope that it's not her in the end. But the only way we're gonna find out is if we take action and do this while we still have a chance."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>.............................................</em>
</p><p> </p><p>Remi had absolutely no clue how she managed to do it, but the three were on board with her.</p><p>They all agreed to start looking for targets soon so they could track them back to Volcan and, despite much protest from Arlo, they all agreed to get new clothes as their school wear and their average attire wouldn't do.</p><p>Of course though, Seraphina had offered to help take care of getting them new clothing, saying their style needed some help.</p><p>When Remi asked why however, all the magenta haired girl had to do was pull out her tattered clothes that had been stuffed in the back of her closet and pull up a photo of Blyke on the streets to prove her point to them. </p><p> </p><p>
  <em>"Yeah, no. You're not going out fighting crime dressed like </em>
  <em>
    <b>that</b>
  </em>
  <em>. If you want to take on EMBER, you need to do it right.</em>
  <em>"</em>
</p><p> </p><p>Remi had no idea what that meant for them, but, might as well see what Seraphina has up her sleeve.</p><p>Currently though, they were working on a different task.</p><p>Before they could get out onto the streets, they had to take care of another matter.</p><p>While they couldn't find any information regarding the ravenette's whereabouts, they had an idea of where to start looking.</p><p>It was over a string of notes hidden in lockers and office desks that Remi had convinced Keene to give them access to the security room and look through the footage.</p><p>It wasn't something that could be done in person and it took the pinkette a ton of convincing to get the head of security to agree, but eventually they had won the man over.</p><p>Despite the fact Keene that had given them access, they had to be weary.<br/><br/></p><p>....................................</p><p>
  <em>"Look, I didn't want to worry you guys, but..." Remi sighed as she pulled out the slip of paper, showing it to Blyke and Isen in the safety of her dorm room.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>It was just the three as Seraphina and Arlo had left after they finalized their details on when to begin heading back out.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Blyke's eyes went wide. "...Keene gave this to you?"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The pinkette nodded. "He wrote it right in front of me. He seemed quite frantic. Like...like he was afraid someone would hear us."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Isen looked over the note, a current of worry crossing his face. "Rem...did he mention exactly what was going on with the authorities?"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>She shook her head. "No. In fact, he didn't get to say much before a detective came in the room."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Isen nodded slightly, piecing some things together.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"I think I know what he means..."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Remi and Blyke looked to him as he leaned back in the desk chair he settled in. "First off, it's safe to assume that the authorities have had their eye on the school for awhile. What with Remi's brother being a vigilante and Seraphina getting expelled for reading 'UnOrdinary.' Now after all of </em>
  <b>
    <em>this</em>
  </b>
  <em>, they're around the place almost 24/7, hounding Keene and having a cop at almost every corner."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Isen lifted up the note, waving it around slightly. "Second off, right before you received this note Remi, flyers had been dumped all over the school, disbanding a majority of clubs."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>He pulled out a folder from his book bag he had brought. "Now, it took me awhile to piece this together, but I noticed something strange with all of these clubs being removed."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>He pulled out a thin packet. He handed it to Remi who skimmed through, Blyke looking over her shoulder. There were certain clubs highlighted and most of the ones highlighted had a star next to them. Remi raised an eyebrow. "This is just the schools club list..."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The pumpkin haired teen nodded. "The ones with a star next to them are clubs that have been removed so far. All the ones I highlighted...they all have one thing in common."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Blyke's yellow eyes went wide as he realized what Isen had discovered. "I think I see where you're going with this."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Remi looked between the two. "What are you guys talking about?"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Isen took the packet back and pointed to the front page. "All the clubs I highlighted, they're all multi-tiered clubs. They're clubs where your rank and tier don't play a key role on if you get in or not. All the other ones like student council, class president, etcetera...they're all tier specific."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Remi's eyes went wide. "They're... they're trying to divide us."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Isen nodded. "Everything that happened after the Joker incident caused a huge rift in the hierarchy. People started banding together regardless of tier or ability which doesn't conform to the rules of the hierarchy. Without order, there's no hierarchy. And what's the most important thing to the authorities?"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Remi nodded, saddened by this news. "The system...or more accurately; control."</em>
</p><p>.............................</p><p> </p><p>It was a terrifying thought.</p><p>The authorities were trying to divide everyone again in order to prevent anarchy like what happened after John's victory over the royals.</p><p>Except, they were taking things to the extreme.</p><p>They were trying to do whatever they could to divide low, mid, elite and high tiers alike.</p><p>Unfortunately, it would have to be a problem for another time.</p><p>They had neither the time nor the man power to try solving this issue at the moment.</p><p>For now though, they walked briskly throughout the school, Isen having his ability activated to avoid running into anyone.</p><p>Unfortunately, the journalist was taking things a little too...seriously.</p><p>Isen practically snuck through the hallway like a damn ninja. He was going the full 9 yards, ducking and dipping around corners, even doing a dive roll from one side of the hall to another at one point.</p><p>It had taken him a total of 4 minutes to reach the other side of the hallway.</p><p>Meanwhile, Blyke and Remi waited at the end for him, Remi with her hands on her hips and Blyke facepalming himself. "WOULD YOU CUT THAT OUT ALREADY AND HURRY THE F*CK UP?!"</p><p>Isen narrowed his eyes at the redhead. "Hey, you never know who could be watching us...! We have to be stealthy if we want to avoid being caught!"</p><p>Remi huffed. "But still, could you at least...I dunno...sneak faster?"</p><p>Isen rolled his eyes before Blyke just grabbed his shirt collar and proceeded to drag the pumpkin haired teen behind him. "We don't have time for these games! We only have so much time before security starts closing up the school for the day! Not only that, we have to avoid the cops lurking around after hours. We're already on their watch because of what happened between you and that one officer."</p><p>The pumpkin haired teen huffed. "Yeah...I know..."</p><p>Letting the teen up, they walked through the winding hallways until they reached the security office right around the corner.</p><p>With clammy hands, Blyke shut hit eyes and prayed that Keene had remembered to leave the door unlocked like he had promised earlier that day.</p><p>Everyone let out a sigh of relief as the handle pushed down and Blyke opened the door.</p><p>It was almost pitch black inside the room, save for the blinking lights among the various computer towers and monitors.</p><p>Keene had left the system on sleep mode to keep the cameras from picking up what they were doing but allow them to turn it back on.</p><p>Isen shut the door and flipped on the light switch, the small room flooding with light.</p><p>Remi pulled off her bag and handed Isen his laptop and extension cord, the teen looking over a tower and plugging his device in. Blyke took a seat at the set of monitors and clicked on the power button, the numerous screens buzzing to life.</p><p>He clicked a few buttons, fiddling around with the various settings.</p><p>The redhead perked up as he switched one of the monitors over to camera 6, the screen coming up as static.</p><p>"Hey Isen? Where's camera #6 located in the school?"</p><p>Isen looked up from where he was seated on the floor, his laptop software staring up. "Hm? Oh, that's the camera for the headmasters office."</p><p>Blyke moved away from the screen slightly so Isen could view it. The teen got up and clicked a few keys but it was still static.</p><p>Isen huffed in annoyance. "Crap...looks like the camera got destroyed. Which means we can't rewind whatever footage was still on its memory card."</p><p>Blyke looked at him. "Is there any way we can still recover any of the footage?"</p><p>Isen put a finger and thumb to his chin, thinking for a minute. "I think so. The security tape in here gets stored after a week or two. I just need to go through the footage logs from a couple of weeks ago."</p><p>Isen picked up his computer that was now connected to the mainframe and Blyke moved from the seat, letting Isen work his magic.</p><p>The teen tapped away at his computer, Remi keeping an eye and ear out for any cops.</p><p>Isen scrolled through week's worth of camera footage until he came across the last entry from camera 6.</p><p>The teen pulled it up but almost all that came up was corrupted static.</p><p>"What the...?! This can't be right..."</p><p>Remi raised as eyebrow as she peaked over slightly. "Isen? Is everything ok?"</p><p>Isen tapped on his keys slightly. "There's...there's no footage! It's all gone!"</p><p>Blyke and Remi both went pale.</p><p>The redhead looked over his shoulder. "But, how is that possible? You said the footage gets stored after a week!"</p><p>Isen tapped a few keys on his laptop, desperate to find something, <em>anything</em> that would lead them a step in the right direction. "I know! But there's almost nothing at all and even then, the footage is just blank."</p><p>Remi bit her lip slightly. "Isen...? Do you think...maybe someone erased the footage on purpose?"</p><p>His eyes went wide. "Sh*t...you could be right. Whoever's behind this knew someone would come looking. Damn bastards must've erased any evidence to cover their tracks."</p><p>Blyke scratched his chin. "But...wouldn't the authorities have noticed that the camera was tampered with? They would've had to look through this footage when investigating-" He froze, all the color draining from his face.</p><p>The pinkette snapped her head over to Blyke as Isen did the same.</p><p>Blyke ran a hand through his hair. "Guys...? You don't think that-?"</p><p>Remi held up her hand. "We don't know for sure Blyke...but until we have solid evidence they're not connected, we don't trust <b>anyone</b> from the authorities."</p><p>The two others nodded as Remi walked over, setting a hand on the back of Isen's chair as he continued to go over the static filled footage and audio. "Are you sure there's nothing?"</p><p>Isen nodded. "All the live footage is missing. There's only a small clip from earlier in the afternoon but it cuts out as Vaughn's looking up from reading a packet of sorts."</p><p>He slowly went through the footage again until he stumbled across an obnoxiously blurry frame that wasn't entirely destroyed.</p><p>"Wait! Guys, I found something!"</p><p>Isen squinted as he saw a figure with what seemed to be brick red hair and steel blue eyes. They were looking down towards something on the floor, looking quite angry.</p><p>But besides that, almost all of the image besides that small slit of footage was completely corrupted.</p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>Blyke's eyes went wide. "Wait, who the hell is that?!"</p><p>Remi crossed her arms, looking at the stilled image. "He's not a teacher here, that's for sure."</p><p>Remi and Blyke squinted a bit. The photo was too blurry for them but they all felt like they've seen this man before somewhere.</p><p>Isen thought to himself before saving the 10 minute clip to his file.</p><p>Remi raised an eyebrow. "What are you doing Isen?"</p><p>The teen saved it under a private file. "I'm saving it to see if I can clear away any of the corruption using my software. Or at least see if there's any more images like this that weren't entirely erased."</p><p>The pinkette nodded before Blyke tapped their shoulders. "Guys, we're about to have company." He pointed to the monitor and the three saw a cop about to walk down their hallway.</p><p>Isen quickly unplugged his laptop and packed his stuff back into Remi's bag. "Quick, we need to stall the cameras so we can leave!"</p><p>Blyke nodded as Isen talked him through the process, Keene having left them instructions. The pumpkin haired teen set up the camera for a 10 second stall as Blyke set the cameras back to their original settings.</p><p>Remi peaked out the door, whipping her head back around. "Hurry up...! They're about to turn the corner...!"</p><p>The two boys shut off the lights and snuck around the corner with Remi, briskly walking down the hallway and heading out of the building.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>Once they were all a safe distance away, they all gave a sigh of relief. </p><p>Remi gripped the straps of her bright pink bag as they all walked back to the dorms. "That man from the photo...who do you think he is?"</p><p>Isen scratched his head. "I feel like we've seen him before but from where...?"</p><p>Blyke hummed a bit to himself before he stopped dead in his tracks. "Wait..."</p><p>The other two stopped, looking at him with confusion. "Blyke?"</p><p>Blyke held up his hand slightly as the gears in his head turned, his eyes going wide. "Guys, I think I know who that is!"</p><p>He quickly yanked out his phone and pulled up the Authorities Public Records, his fingers flying across his phone screen. His eyes went wide as he showed the screen to the other two, their eyes also going wide with alarm.</p><p>Remi gasped. "That's the officer who was interrogating us!"</p><p>Blyke nodded his head slightly. "Whoever this 'Keon' guy is, we need to find more information on him."</p><p>Isen sighed. "Unfortunately, this is all the information we're getting. They've removed their ability description and levels from the system. All we have is a name and a face to go off of."</p><p>Blyke thought for a minute, stopping to catch up with the others. </p><p>While they may not know any specific about Keon, Blyke had an idea he knew someone who just might, considering he's had run-ins with the authorities before.</p><p>The only problem was, how would he contact him?</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Chapter 29: end.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0032"><h2>32. Heroes...(pt 1)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hey guys! I've added some music for this chapter for those of you who like listening while reading!</p><p>The song is by GOD984 and they have a lot of cool songs for UnO so make sure to check them out!</p><p>Hope you all enjoy! ^-^</p><p>-KittCat.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Blyke stared out the window, the sun having disappeared below the horizon ages ago.</p><p>The living room in their dorm had been bathed in a pale glow, an equally cold feeling weighing down on their shoulders.</p><p>Isen was sitting across from him at the kitchen counter with his face scrunched up in concentration. He had been trying to work away at finding a suitable software that would cater to the damaged security feed in his possession.</p><p>Remi had left earlier, having to head back before curfew.</p><p>However, she had left them with her research and notes from what her and Seraphina had been pulling together.</p><p>While they had their suspicions that the group who targeted the former ace was behind this, they couldn't rule out other possibilities, especially after what they discovered on the broken footage.</p><p>But as they sat there, they couldn't help but wonder if this had all been in vain.</p><p>How long had it been?</p><p>Almost 3 weeks now? </p><p>The situation was getting more desperate by the minute and honestly, Blyke was losing hope that they would find the ravenette.</p><p>They had all been hard at work, trying to locate John and still, there had been almost no evidence found besides this.</p><p>They could only keep looking for so long...</p><p>But as Blyke sat there, he couldn't help the resentment that came up when he thought of the teen.</p><p>Nobody deserved to be kidnapped like this, that much is true. </p><p>But the darker part of Blyke's mind whispered his doubts aloud.</p><p>Why couldn't they just leave him there?</p><p>His friends and the school had suffered enough thanks to John.</p><p>John had hurt and humiliated them in front of everyone and even when Blyke faced the ravenette again, all he received was the cold shoulder.</p><p>Not to mention, John wasn't a stranger to terrorizing others.</p><p>New Boston had also suffered his wrath with half of the ravenette's graduating class ending up in critical condition.</p><p>John was a madman; borderline psychotic.  </p><p>Would it really be such an awful thing to let him just...well, disappear?</p><p>Blyke almost wanted to slap himself, shaking his head out.</p><p>Yes! It would be awful!</p><p>Just because John was a massive *sshole who couldn't give two sh*ts about them, doesn't mean he deserved to be left in the hands of his captors!</p><p>No one deserved to just be abandoned and forgotten!</p><p>But again, Blyke couldn't help his resentment towards John.</p><p>It may have been a selfish thought, but under any other normal circumstances, he'd want the ravenette to leave and just fade into the shadows.</p><p>Again, Blyke knew it was selfish. </p><p>He knew that there was at least one person who genuinely cared for him and he knew Seraphina would be devastated if anything happened to John.</p><p>But while she cared about him, Blyke held no such feelings towards the ravenette.</p><p>'Ugh, why is this so difficult?!' Blyke slammed his head on the table.</p><p>Isen jumped, his arm knocking into his laptop.</p><p>He gasped as he dove off the table and caught the device, cradling it as if it were his child. He gave a sigh of relief before sending a death glare at the redhead. "What the hell man?! This is the only bit of proof we have about what happened and we almost just lost all of it!"</p><p>Blyke huffed. "Yeah, yeah, I know...sorry."</p><p>Isen set the device carefully back on the counter with a sigh. "Anyways, I'm working on clearing up the audio but it seems like most of it is gone too. There's a few sections I can patch up but it's going to take some time."</p><p>The redhead nodded as he stood up from the counter, heading to the fridge to grab some water. </p><p>As he did though, his thoughts from earlier came back, causing him to groan with frustration. "Hey Isen?"</p><p>The orange haired teen didn't look up from his screen but he acknowledged the other with a "Hm?"</p><p>Blyke leaned against the counter top as he poured his water into a glass. "Why are we doing all of this again Isen? Why are we trying to look for John?"</p><p>Isen looked up from his laptop, an eyebrow raised in confusion. "Weren't you and Remi the one's who convinced me to help, even though I wanted no part in this too?"</p><p>Blyke huffed. "I know that Isen...! It's just...lately I've just been struggling with the idea. I know I agreed to it at first because I knew no one else would be taking care of this, but I cant help but feel resentment towards him. I'm not saying we should just up and quit, but-"</p><p>"But you're wondering why we're still doing this when we have no obligation?" Isen finished for him.</p><p>Blyke nodded a bit. </p><p>Isen sighed as he closed is laptop, making sure to save his work. "I know what you're feeling Blyke. And believe me, it's ok to feel like this. I know Remi and Arlo feel the same way to different degree's."</p><p>He chuckled slightly. "But we both know Remi...she's too kind for her own good. And Arlo? We all know the only reason he's doing this is because John is stronger. Having someone that powerful go missing <em>frightens</em> him more than anything."</p><p>Blyke nodded slightly before Isen went on. "As for me, I'm doing this because Remi and Seraphina need our help. Obviously Remi is my friend and I'll help her no matter what. But for Seraphina? I'm doing this for her because she's already lost enough. I mean, we all saw what happened after she lost her abilities. But to find out her best friend was lying to her and then hear that he's gone missing? That's gotta hurt. That's gotta hurt a lot."</p><p>Isen looked down a bit. "Normally, you know I would've said no, that I would've stayed out of this as much as possible like I've done before. But look at where that's gotten us..."</p><p>Isen scratched the back of his neck, his eyes dark with regret. "I know I was a coward before. I'm still probably a coward now. But I can't just keep running from my problems or hope they'll sort themselves out. I tried running when Arlo went after John, I tried running when I found out who John was, and I tried running when he went on a rampage. But I'm <em>done</em> with running Blyke...it's time I start facing these problems instead of trying to leave them behind."</p><p>Blyke's eyebrows had gone up in shock. </p><p>Not once in all the time he's known Isen has he ever heard the teen call himself a coward.</p><p>Blyke always thought Isen harbored no such thoughts about himself, that he didn't mind with being called a coward because he truly did not believe it to begin with.</p><p>But hearing the words come out of his own mouth?</p><p>The redhead wasn't expecting it.</p><p>He himself had never called Isen a coward. </p><p>However...there were times where he <em>wanted</em> to. </p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>What happened back when they first encountered Volcan in Lewes...that was truly a time Blyke thought of Isen as a coward. Remi almost died that night and Isen was just frozen in shock half the time.</p><p>But despite being crippled with fear, the orange haired male still moved his *ss in there and rescued Remi.</p><p>And despite the fact that Isen would rather run from his problems, he still faced what he could take head on.</p><p>"Isen, I don't think you're a coward."</p><p>The teen snapped his head over, raising an eyebrow.</p><p>Blyke took a sip of his water before setting the cup down on the counter. "Sure, there may have been times where you have acted cowardly, but even so, you were still there. You still did what you could. There may have been moments when you ran, but when it came down to it, you did what you could to make things right."</p><p>Isen stared at Blyke in shock as he sat down, leaning back in his seat. </p><p>He honestly didn't know what to say.</p><p>Isen felt like he didn't deserve such words of encouragement. He had been so shallow when he took all of this on. There had been times where people had gotten hurt because he was too much of a coward to say or do something.</p><p>The teen didn't know how to feel about this.</p><p>But nonetheless, he nodded slightly, a small smile forming on his lips. "Thanks Blyke..."</p><p>The redhead nodded back as Isen stood up, stretching his arms over his head. "Welp, I better get to bed. I still have a lot of work to do and I need my beauty sleep."</p><p>Blyke raised an eyebrow. "No amount of beauty sleep will ever fix your face Isen."</p><p>Isen scoffed in mock offence. "Well at least I don't look like I touched a power socket when I wake up in the mornings."</p><p>Blyke rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Whatever helps you sleep at night."</p><p>Isen flipped Blyke the bird before walking off to his room.</p><p>Blyke huffed as he sat back in his chair, sipping his water and scrolling through his phone.</p><p>As he sat there, he wondered how he was going to get in contact with the ponytailed man again.</p><p>The redhead had been thinking; if there was anyone who would know about the authorities and their members, surely it had to be a superhero, right?</p><p>Besides the fact that the man had long blue hair, Blyke didn't know anything about the man besides his ability and that he had saved his *ss that night.</p><p>He wanted to see if once everyone was ready, he could ask Remi and the others to help him look for the swordsman. He very well could be their ticket to tracking down Volcan and other members of EMBER, not to mention other members of the authorities if members of EMBER were lurking in the authorities.</p><p>But how would they even find him?</p><p>The swordsman could be across the country by now and Blyke wouldn't know!</p><p>Still, it couldn't hurt to try.</p><p>As he stood up for the table, deciding to turn in for the night, there was a tap at the window.</p><p>Blyke whipped his head around and looked back and forth slightly. He raised an eyebrow as he called out slightly. "Hello?"</p><p>Nothing.</p><p>Blyke slowly turned his head back around when he heard another tap. Whipping his head around, he saw something pass by the window. </p><p>Something glowing bright blue.</p><p>'No...there's no way...'</p><p>He raced over to the window and slid the glass open, sticking his head out into the cold night air.</p><p>The view was beautiful. The stars were dancing delicately in an ocean of darkness as the few clouds spotting the sky were highlighted by the half moon, its light beginning to wane.</p><p>He didn't have much time to appreciate the stars beauty as his attention was pulled to the side, a familiar ponytail draping down past a steel white mask, bright green reflecting through the eye holes of his mask.</p><p>The man waved slightly, letting his sword disappear from his palm.</p><p>Blyke jumped slightly, eyes going wide. "It's you!"</p><p>The swordsman nodded, a smile climbing onto his face. "I have a name ya know."</p><p>Blyke raised an eyebrow. "Except you've never told me your name..."</p><p>The man's face froze and Blyke swore he was about to facepalm himself. "Oh...right. Well, the name's Kuyo."</p><p>Blyke nodded. "Well, it's good to finally meet you again Kuyo."</p><p>While he wore a smile on his face, Blyke could sense the strain in Kuyo's expression, the tense posture as he hung almost upside-down from the edge of the roof. </p><p>It was then the teen realized that the man had recognized him without his mask. "Wait, how did you find me?! And how did you know I would be <em>here</em> of all places?!"</p><p>The man chuckled slightly and Blyke swore he could see him roll his eyes. "I'm a superhero, kid. I have my connections. And no, I wasn't stalking you. But after I caught wind of the news spreading about you from that night, I wanted to come find you. There's a lot we need to discuss."</p><p>He held his hand out slightly. "Mind coming with me? Just for a little while?"</p><p>The teen nodded slightly. "Yeah, of course! Actually, there's something I want to discuss with you too. Lemme just grab my shoes and a coat."</p><p>Upon returning with said items and his phone securely in his pocket, the man grabbed Blykes arm and lifted him up with a surprising amount of ease onto the roof. "Follow me. I'm sure you know Wellston isn't the safest place to be right now."</p><p>Blyke nodded and pulled his hood over his head, following the hero across the rooftops.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>The two eventually stopped on top of a building in a mid-tier district not too far away from Wellston. </p><p>The area was quaint.   </p><p>Clean and pristine buildings with shingled roofs and shops lined the streets and there was frozen foliage everywhere, maples and oaks standing barren among evergreens as the midnight frost coated the grass, the ground seeming to sparkle as they moved in the breeze.</p><p>Blyke could see his breath billow in front of him like a smoke stack and he knew without a doubt that it would snow soon. </p><p>Kuyo stopped and huffed, admiring the frosted clouds leaving his lips for a moment. He smiled faintly before taking a seat along the edge of the building as he removed his mask. </p><p>The teen jumped slightly, not expecting the face that looked back at him. </p><p>Blyke didn't know what he expected the face of his savior would look like. But looking at this man now, he realized that even his face fit his upheld mannerisms and his confident, even borderline cocky tone and persona.</p><p>The swordsman had bright green eyes (no surprise there) that seemed to hold an air of mischief, his tanned skin reddened and flushed from the cold air. Blyke took notice of the small scar lining the mans cheek bone on his left side. </p><p>The teen felt unease crawl upon him at the thought of someone managing to leave a permanent mark on not just a superhero, but a high tier of all people.</p><p>His unease soon disappeared as the man tapped the spot next to him, a gesture for Blyke to sit and accompany him.</p><p>The redhead obliged as he plopped down next to him, letting his feet dangle off the edge of the building.</p><p>Truthfully, Blyke felt awkward. He was sitting next to a man he hardly knew, yet, he had such a strong connection with.</p><p>This man had saved his life and Blyke had also returned the favor by helping him.</p><p>Blyke took a peak up at the man and jumped slightly when he saw the man looking back. Kuyo chuckled as he patted the teen on the back.</p><p>"No need to be so awkward kid. Technically you're also a superhero too, no?"</p><p>Blyke gave a dry chuckle. "If by superhero you mean a jumbled mess, then yes."</p><p>Kuyo rolled his eyes. "Come on, I meant what I said that night on the roof in Grasshill. You have a good head on your shoulders and your heart is in the right place. You just need some training."</p><p>Blyke thought about it for a minute. </p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>Blyke closed his eyes. "I might actually have to take you up on that."</p><p>Kuyo raised an eyebrow. "Really now?"</p><p>The redhead nodded, staring up at the sky. He found himself lost in the dark as he talked. "My friends and I, we've decided to head back out into the streets. It's not for a selfish reason like last time though. There's...something we have to do."</p><p>Kuyo smirked. "So I take it you've finally gotten things sorted out?"</p><p>Despite the response Kuyo was hoping to receive, the man turned to look at the teen who only groaned in despair and pulled a leg up to his chest, resting his forehead on his knee.</p><p>"I wish! But it seems that things have only gotten even more complicated..."</p><p>Kuyo raised an eyebrow, confused as to what the teen beside him was going on about.</p><p>Blyke looked to him slightly and sighed. "Have you and the other hero's heard about the fire that happened at Wellston?"</p><p>The man nodded, his expression going stern. "Yeah. We were all pretty worried. Wellston is one of the most populous schools in the area and with how many students go there, we were worried some didn't make it. There were some of us who wanted to stop by and help, especially after what we heard about Va-er-the headmaster."</p><p>The red head sighed as he stared in front of him and down towards the dimly lit streets below. "But no one's told any of you that someone went missing, did they?"</p><p>Blyke saw the man go visibly stiff as a board, the color leaving his face. The confident air that once surrounded the hero was now replaced with shock, all the bravado having drained out of his being. </p><p>"Someone's...someone's gone missing?" His voice faltered.</p><p>Blyke raised an eyebrow but the swordsman quickly cleared his voice. "The way you say it...I take it you know who it is?"</p><p>The redhead nodded. "Yeah...he was the jerk who hurt my friends and I. No one knew he was even missing until a week after the fire."</p><p>The man looked down, trying to hide his eyes that had gone wide in terror filled shock. Despite that, he tried to keep his voice even. "Then...why are you trying to find him if you still hate him so much?"</p><p>Blyke shrugged. "It's...complicated. Part of me doesn't know why I'm doing this but, I know I can't just leave him wherever he is. No one deserves to be forgotten like this. The authorities aren't doing a thing to find him and he could be running out of time. Hell, he may already be out of time and we wouldn't even know it."</p><p>He huffed as he tapped his head on his knee. "It's so frustrating..."</p><p>Kuyo had to swallow the lump in his throat. "Have you and your friends found any leads yet...?"</p><p>The redhead thought for a moment. He debated on whether or not he should tell the man, eventually settling on yes.</p><p>"Kind of...we found some broken footage in the school's security room. The strange thing was, almost all of it was erased or corrupted. But, we managed to find a photo of someone...someone who I think you can help us find or at least track."</p><p>The man felt sweat collect at the back of his neck, not liking where this was going.</p><p>Blyke scratched his head. "Kuyo, I was wondering...would you be willing to help me and my friends out in finding this person?"</p><p>Kuyo was silent for a minute, deep in thought. Blyke swore he saw panic cross his features but figured he was just mistaken as the man looked at him, raising an eyebrow as a confident smirk crossed his face. "Wow, you must have a lot of faith in me if you're asking <em>me</em> for help."</p><p>Blyke huffed. "Well, it's not like I know any other superheroes around here."</p><p>Kuyo chuckled, looking up at the stars slightly. "Can't argue with that one." He eventually turned his gaze down and hummed out a reply. "Sure, I can help you. But first...I need your help with something."</p><p>Blyke raised an eyebrow. "Oh? What would that be?"</p><p>The man stood up, staring at the blinking lights from the next city over. He had his back turned to the teen as he spoke. "There's someone I've been tracking for awhile now. This person has been causing us, the other superheroes I mean, all a lot of trouble and I need to find him quickly."</p><p>Blyke stood up and hovered behind him, confused as to what he meant. "What exactly has this person done to all of you?"</p><p>The ponytailed man sighed, his gaze falling to the graveled cover of the roof. "He's...gotten us into so much danger. EMBER isn't just hunting superheroes down because we're a nuisance anymore...they're hunting us down because they want to find this person and capture him."</p><p>Kuyo's voice grew cold, hints of anger and pain cracking through his confidence once more. "But instead of killing us...now they're capturing and torturing us. Not only us but <em><b>civilians</b></em> too for information on his whereabouts. So many people are getting hurt and there's almost nothing I can do about it...! I have to find him...otherwise, I don't know how many more people we'll lose...how many more people <em>I'll</em> lose..."</p><p>Blyke rubbed his arm, looking down slightly. </p><p>How many superheroes have been murdered by EMBER? </p><p>Tens? Dozens?</p><p>And all the while, he never bothered to wonder if these people knew each other or at least some of them knew each other.</p><p>It must've been heartbreaking to witness your friends and colleagues get picked off like fles and left for dead. </p><p>He was snapped from his thoughts as Kuyo spoke up again.</p><p>"I know this is a lot to ask from you, especially with everything going on right now, but I need your help to find this guy so EMBER can stop this chaos."</p><p>Blyke looked away. He didn't know how to feel about it. </p><p>Sure, he had agreed to go back into the field. But that was alongside people who he knew and knew very well.</p><p>But that also raised the question: would EMBER come straight for them in search of this mystery person when they entered the scene?</p><p>Becoming a hero had just gotten ten times more dangerous now that this mystery person was on the loose and wanted heavily by EMBER.</p><p>If he didn't help Kuyo now, who's to say that he and his friends wouldn't be next on EMBER's hit list?</p><p>That thought alone was enough for Blyke to make up his mind.</p><p> </p><p>
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  <b>-----~Play Music (Optional)~-----</b>
</p><p> </p><p>The redhead looked down slightly, but agreed. "I'll help you find this guy Kuyo. We'll stop these guys from taking any more superheroes and people."</p><p>Kuyo nodded, his mask still covering his eyes. "Thank you. Your help would be greatly appreciated <b>Blyke</b>."</p><p>Blyke nodded as he headed over to the edge of the roof, looking down at the streets below. "So, where do we start look-...?"</p><p>The mans words finally dawned on the teen. "Wait...when did I ever tell you my <b><em>name</em></b>?"</p><p>Blyke heard some faint steps forward, turning around as he stared at the superhero. </p><p>Toxic green erupted from underneath Kuyo's mask, his sword forming to life in his palm. </p><p>Blyke raised an eyebrow. "Uh, what's going on...?"</p><p>The man's voice wavered. "...I'm sorry Blyke..."</p><p>Kuyo continued walking forward, the tip of his blade dragging against the ground as the realization hit Blyke. </p><p>Immediately, he backed away and to the side, putting distance between him and the man as he started feeling clammy.</p><p>'No...don't tell me...!'</p><p>He held his hands forward slightly. Blyke didn't want to fight him. "K-Kuyo?! Look...y-you don't need to do this...!"</p><p>The man standing before him, his tall and lean figure highlighted by the glow of his sword, glanced down at the hilt of his blade. He grit his teeth slightly shutting his eyes for a brief second. "Unfortunately Blyke...<b><em>I do.</em></b>"</p><p>He charged forward at the redhead who barely managed to avoid diving out of the way as Kuyo lodged his blade into the concrete behind him, sending chunks flying in all directions.</p><p>Blyke quickly activated his abilities and charged up his beams, heart going wild as he aimed at the swordsman.</p><p>He sent 6 shots flying at Kuyo only for the man to block and dodge them all with ease. Said man jumped up with his sword perched over his head and Blyke stepped to the side, arms shaking as he emitted a large blast of energy, pushing Kuyo back long enough for the redhead to leap over the ledge and jump off the roof. </p><p>Using his beams to slow his descent, the redhead tucked and rolled onto his feet as he bolted down the sidewalk.</p><p>Terrified yellow eyes went wide as he saw a blur of blue streak towards his face.</p><p>He yelped in pain as the throwing knives clipped his cheek, lodging themselves firmly in the ground. He quickly hid in a doorway as he saw another flash of blue hit the spot he was standing at moments before hand. </p><p>He looked up, shaking with absolute fear and adrenaline as Kuyo called out to him. "GET THE HELL BACK HERE BLYKE!"</p><p>If Blyke wasn't terrified before, he was now.</p><p>'What the hell do I do?!'</p><p>Blyke huffed as he looked around frantically, grabbing a stone off the ground and throwing it out onto the street, another set of knives obliterating it. </p><p>He quickly focused on where the direction of the blades came from before diving out of his hiding spot and sending two large blasts up at Kuyo who was perched on another roof.</p><p>The man gasped and quickly jumped onto another rooftop, smoke and debris clouding up his vision.</p><p>Blyke quickly bolted down the side walk as he snatched his phone out of his pocket, trying everything in his power to call someone.</p><p>Remi's call went to voicemail.</p><p>Isen's wouldn't even connect.</p><p>Blyke looked at his phone and swore like a sailor as he saw the wifi drop, all his bars disappearing.</p><p>He was pushing his legs to run as fast as he could, wondering just why the hell Kuyo would do something like this?!</p><p>Kuyo was supposed to be a hero!</p><p>Heroes were supposed to protect the innocent! So why would he be so willing to probably turn him in to the same people who most likely wanted him dead?!</p><p>But then the redhead recalled what he had just said on the roof.</p><p>Kuyo had witnessed so many of his fellow heroes get slaughtered like livestock. He had seen so many people that he probably knew very well, <em>die</em> right before his eyes and there was nothing he could do to save them.</p><p>The man was tired of watching everyone he knew and loved die by EMBER's claws.</p><p>Not to mention, innocent civilians were now being targeted as well.</p><p>Blyke had become a vigilante EMBER feared because he was still a kid and he could easily influence others with his status and what he knows.</p><p>Now, they were using the very people Blyke had imitated to help target him.</p><p>Even hero's could become desperate.</p><p>But that didn't mean Blyke would willingly go with Kuyo.</p><p>If he went, what would become of <em>him</em>?</p><p>He could only assume the worse and he didn't want that fate to befall him or anyone he knew.</p><p>So Blyke ran.</p><p>He ran and ran and ran as Kuyo continued to tail him, the two fighting as Blyke continued to sprint.</p><p>Despite the knives flying around his head and slicing along his flesh, leaving it covered in crimson, Blyke still pushed on.</p><p>But how long would it last for him?</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Chapter 30 (pt1): end.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0033"><h2>33. ...and Villains (pt 2)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Blyke sprinted around the corner as a blade barely scratched at his ear.</p><p>'HOLY SH*T! IS THIS GUY SERIOUSLY TRYING TO KILL ME?!'</p><p>He yelled and quickly swung his arm around to blast away another flying dagger heading for his face. He sprinted down the pavement, trying to put however much distance he could between this now masked maniac and himself. </p><p>'Sh*t! SH*T, <em>SH*T</em>, <b><em>SH*T</em></b>! Where do I go?!' </p><p>Truly, he didn't realize he was running back to Wellston until he noticed the familiar signs along the main shopping center come into view. </p><p>He had been running for 3 miles now and Kuyo was STILL on his tail!</p><p>Blyke was exhausted but he still had to keep running, not willing to stop at all.</p><p>He didn't dare think about what would happen if he did.</p><p>The device sitting in his hands finally vibrated and he immediately picked up.</p><p>The groan of a disgruntled blonde sounded across the line and Blyke almost cried in relief as he heard Arlo's voice sound through the speaker. </p><p>{"Ugh... Blyke what do you want? It's 2 in the-"}</p><p>"ARLO HELP ME! THERE'S A MASKED MANIAC ON MY TAIL AND HE'S TRYING TO KILL ME!" He didn't have time for small chat! This was life or death right now!</p><p>Blyke cried out and was sent flying as Kuyo jumped down from the building, leaving a crater where he landed as he gunned for Blyke who rolled to the side blasted himself back using his beams. </p><p>The redhead kept sprinting as he shot another laser as Kuyo, barely grazing the mans cheek. He huffed as he called out into his phone. "GRAB REMI AND ISEN AND MEET ME AT THE SCHOOL GATES! <em><b>NOW!</b></em>"</p><p>Blyke didn't have time to hear Arlo's reply as his phone flew from his hand, shattering against the wall as one of Kuyo's throwing knives pinned the device to a building. Blyke didn't dare to look behind him as he kept running, his boots scraping against the tarmac as he sprinted down an alleyway that cut through towards Wellston's neighborhood.</p><p>Terror kept his stride quick and his heart thundering furiously in his chest.</p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>He could practically sense Kuyo dashing after him on the rooftops, a throwing star almost cutting his ear off as it lodged into the wall beside him.</p><p>He quickly took a sharp turn down the road and slid along the pavement as he saw the glow of the buildings windows in sight.</p><p>Blyke readied his beams as he launched himself forward using the energy exploding from his palms.</p><p>As he did, he felt a sharp pain slice through the back of his leg.</p><p>He cried out and skidded along the road like a skipping stone as he tripped over his feet.</p><p>Blyke slowly sat up, dazed and tired. The frozen air stung at his now skinned flesh from where he had face planted into the pavement. </p><p>Damn, it all hurt!</p><p>But despite the discomfort, he shoved himself back to his feet and let adrenaline take over. </p><p>He had no time to assess his injuries as he immediately got back up and tried running again, the school in his sights.</p><p>Blyke couldn't give in! He had to keep going! He had to keep moving!</p><p>He was 20 feet away from the gates, the moonlight bathing the brick in a snowy haze.</p><p>The redhead was almost there! He was almost there!</p><p>"Almost-!"</p><p>Blyke screeched in pain as something struck him along his side, pain quickly flooding his senses and his body locking up in shock.</p><p>The bright blue of one of Kuyo's swords  briefly casted his body in a blue glow before vanishing along the road, leaving a deep gash above Blyke's hip.</p><p>Blyke dropped to the ground again as blood starting pooling at his side, digging his fingers into the asphalt.</p><p>He cried out as he tried to get back up, only to stumble and collapse back down once more. His muscles were locking up and his legs refused to move.</p><p>'No...! No, no, NO! PLEASE!'</p><p>The redhead cried out as he tried to push himself up with no success.</p><p>He looked behind him to see Kuyo stalking forward, the teen desperately trying to crawl away as the mans shadow loomed over him.</p><p>His silhouette was lined by the faint moonlight behind him and his bright green eyes glowed menacingly, the vermilion color dripping through his mask. </p><p>Blyke gasped for air, his head spinning as he pressed his hand to his injury. He dragged himself backwards slightly, the now threatening man hovering over him.</p><p>Blyke shook his head as he held his hand out, pleading with the man before him. "KUYO PLEASE! YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO THIS!"</p><p>But it seemed like he wasn't phased from his trance, his blade seeming to vibrate with energy as it glowed even brighter.</p><p>The redhead couldn't do anything. He was absolutely trapped in every sense of the word.</p><p>He threw a blast at Kuyo but again, the man just dodged with frightening ease.</p><p>Blyke held up his arms above him as the swordsman raised his weapon over his head, ready to strike.</p><p>Blyke yelped as he heard a loud crash but found his eyes going wide at the golden barrier now encasing him. He whipped his head around as Arlo stood a few feet behind him, arm outstretched and eyes glowing bright.</p><p>He turned back as Kuyo cried out, his sword shattering to bits and a large gash appearing across his torso.</p><p>Something shot past Arlo as Blyke picked up on bright pink hair. Remi literally became a human lightning bolt, racing at Kuyo with an insane amount of speed. She vaulted herself over Arlo's barrier and launched the man away with a jump kick to the face.</p><p>The swordsman stumbled backwards and held his face as he tried to regain his bearings. Kuyo gasped and barely managed to sidestep Remi as she threw a bolt of lightning at him, the girl rolling to the side as Kuyo threw a knife at her. </p><p>Remi's amber eyes practically burned as she eyed Kuyo, the man staring at the girl in shock. </p><p>"It's...It's you?!"</p><p>Remi ignored his comment and kept her stance before Isen ran up to him, kicking Kuyo in the face as he ducked to the side to avoid the mans blade. He yelled out to the pinkette. "Remi, NOW!"</p><p>The pinkette charged herself up with as much electricity as she could muster before charging forward, a battle cry leaving her lips as she grabbed Kuyo by the throat. "DON'T YOU DARE TOUCH BLYKE!"</p><p>Kuyo screamed out as Remi electrocuted him, the girl slamming his head down into the concrete below him.</p><p>She huffed as she turned her attention over to Blyke whom Arlo was helping up. Remi ripped off her jacket and pressed the fabric to Blyke's side, the redhead thanking her.</p><p>Isen nudged Kuyo with his foot, using his abilities to make sure he was still breathing which, thankfully, he was.</p><p>The journalist turned his attention over to Blyke who was being supported by Arlo.</p><p>Blyke huffed as he held his side, looking up weakly at the blonde. "T-Thanks Arlo..."</p><p>The blonde said nothing, his eyebrows furrowed and his lips pressed in a thin line as he only nodded.</p><p>Isen' eyes locked onto the alarming amount of blood covering his side and his leg before he ran over. "BLYKE!" The red head looked up as Isen bolted over, helping hold the teen up. "What the hell happened?! Why the f*ck are you out here and being chased by this psycho?!"</p><p>Blyke opened his mouth only for a hiss of pain to leave it as he gripped his side tightly. "I-I'll explain l-later..."</p><p>Isen nodded as he grabbed his phone and called Elaine, the bluette quickly picking up. </p><p>{"I-Isen? What's going o-?"}</p><p>"Elaine! It's Blyke! We need you to meet us at my dorm ASAP!"</p><p>Arlo switched Blyke over to Isen as he helped Remi who had started dragging the now unconscious man inside towards the building.</p><p>Remi huffed before dropping the man back on the ground. "Who the heck is this guy?! And why was Blyke being chased by him?!"</p><p>Arlo crossed his arms as he stared at the man, trying to study him.</p><p>Just based off of his appearance, they both knew he was a superhero. He wore similar attire to what Rei had worn. "We'll have Blyke explain later when he's patched up. But for now, we should probably report this to Keene."</p><p>He went to lift the man up by his shoulders, but froze in place as he saw part of the man's mask slip off, his face being revealed slightly. "Hold on a minute..."</p><p>Remi raised an eyebrow as Arlo reached down, lifting the titanium white mask off of the man's face.</p><p>Both the blonde and the pinkette gasped as they took in the sight of the now older Kuyo.</p><p>Arlo's ocean irises shrunk in shock upon seeing Rei's old rival and ex-jack. The two had run Wellston together before Arlo joined and Rei chose Arlo as his successor.</p><p>Kuyo hadn't been happy about being demoted but the two still remained on friendly terms.</p><p>Neither he nor Remi had seen the ponytailed man in years. Not sense Rei's graduation party at least.</p><p>Remi felt a wave of various emotions wash over her as she saw her brother's old friend laying there on the pavement.</p><p>There was so much she was trying to process right now. One of which being that Kuyo was about to kill or at least incapacitate Blyke.</p><p>Images of her brothers dead form laying before her merged with Blyke and she had to push down the wave of nausea that overcame her.</p><p>Arlo stared up at Remi, the two in shock before the girl swallowed a lump in her throat. "Forget about Keene...we need answers." She huffed as she stared at Kuyo, trying to keep herself together.</p><p>"We'll take him back to your dorm so we can meet Elaine there and Blyke can rest."</p><p>Arlo wanted to protest highly against this plan.</p><p>Why the hell should they bring back the guy who tried to kill one of them?! It was the most ludicrous idea Arlo had heard all night!</p><p>"Are you out of your damn mind?! This guy almost killed one of your friends and you want to bring him back to the dorms?!"</p><p>Remi stared at him with bright amber eyes. "Yes. If we leave Kuyo to Keene, we may be missing out on vital answers we're looking for. Use your head Arlo. Why is Kuyo wearing this getup? Why was he out here wearing a mask in the middle of the night?"</p><p>The blonde's eyes went wide. "You don't think-"</p><p>Remi nodded slightly. "It's the only answer Arlo."</p><p>Arlo turned away slightly and ran a hand through his hair with a groan of frustration. "And what exactly are we supposed to do afterwards? Turn him loose?"</p><p>Remi huffed. "We'll turn him into Keene afterwards but not until he answers some of our questions."</p><p>Despite how much he was against this idea, he had to go along with it. </p><p>Kuyo could be the key to figuring out so many things. </p><p>John.</p><p>Rei.</p><p>EMBER.</p><p>He could have the answers they were searching for.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>A bleary eyes Elaine rubbed her eyes as she stayed knelt beside the couch, an unconscious Blyke resting soundly on its cushions.</p><p>She was currently wrapping up a cut on his arm as his most major injuries had been healed up.</p><p>Tugging at her hoodie slightly, she looked over the rest of his arm before placing down the medical kit Isen had fished out of the bathroom cabinet.</p><p>The tired bluette turned her head over to the others who had dragged the still KO'd Kuyo into the living area, having tied him down to a chair by the table.</p><p>Remi was pacing as her patience was wearing thin. Everyone swore she was going to start wearing a rut into the floor as the air around her nervously crackled with static. </p><p>Arlo leaned against the wall, keeping a vulture's gaze over the man and his ability activated on the off chance he tried escaping.</p><p>Isen sat at the armrest of the couch by Blyke's feet, helping Elaine when needed as he watched everyone else.</p><p>Currently sitting at the other end of the table was Seraphina surprisingly enough, a band-aide stuck to her check along the various bruises from her most recent encounter with a rowdy mid-tier. </p><p>When she had heard Elaine panicking about Blyke being attacked, the ex-ace decided to tag along to see if the redhead was alright. Upon seeing the unmasked attacker however, she decided to stay, curiosity urging her to find out what was going on. </p><p>The healer of the group finally spoke up. "Is...is it really wise to bring this man here guys? We all saw what he just did to Blyke and he's now a high tier..."</p><p>Arlo looked at her slightly, a tired sigh escaping his lips. "Truthfully no. But if this guy has any information whatsoever, we need him to tell us."</p><p>Silence reigned once more over the teens until a hiss of pain announced Kuyo's awakening.</p><p>Everyone both froze and braced themselves for what's to come as the man lifted his head, his blurred eyesight trying to scan over the group of pajama adorned teens before him. He shook his head as his vision cleared, his sights landing on Arlo and Remi, the only two faces besides Blykes that he recognized.</p><p>"...well...this certainly isn't how I expected us to meet again."</p><p>The other three raised an eyebrow each, Seraphina voicing their collective thought. "You two know him?"</p><p>Remi nodded as Arlo explained. "He was the ex-jack of Wellston under Rei's rule before I stepped in."</p><p>Kuyo gave a half-hearted chuckle. "He was such a cocky brat when I first met him, saying how he was going to be king for as long as he was here at Wellston. Strict, to the mark, nothing got by him. And you're still just as high strung as ever Arlo."</p><p>The blonde scowled at the man and walked over, grabbing Kuyo by his collar. "Enough rambling! You have some f*cking nerve to attack Blyke the way you did. And judging by your getup, you're a so called 'superhero' too, aren't you? It's almost ironic considering your kind are the ones supposedly protecting the innocent."</p><p>Kuyo narrowed his eyes at the blonde. "'Our kind?' You make it sound like as if we're just wild animals."</p><p>Arlo scoffed. "Maybe not. But you people aren't exactly the most trustworthy type."</p><p>The man grew enraged and thrashed in Arlo's grip. "How dare you?! What would Rei think hearing you speak like that about something he cared about?!"</p><p>The blonde stiffened and his eyes went wide, his knuckles going white. "Don't you DARE drag Rei into this you f*cking bastard!"</p><p>Kuyo was about to say something before a hand grabbed Arlo's shoulder, a small shock running down his arm. </p><p>The blonde jumped slightly but pulled away from Kuyo as Remi shoved him back. "Arlo, that's enough! Whatever your opinions are of vigilantes, you can keep them to yourself for now! Right now, we need him to answer some questions and fighting isn't going to make that happen!"</p><p>The two males remained silent but looked away.</p><p>Remi looked to Isen. "Hey Isen? Can you activate your ability while we talk?"</p><p>The teen nodded, his eyes sparking to life. "Go ahead. I'll let you know if he lies."</p><p>The pinkette huffed as she pulled up a chair, sitting down with her hands in her lap as she stared at the ponytailed man.</p><p>She gave a soft sigh, her amber eyes staring at the man with sincerity. "Kuyo? Look, we need your help."</p><p>The man rolled his eyes. "And this is how you expect me to comply? By tying me up to a chair and wanting to beat my *ss while I'm immobilized?"</p><p>Remi shut her eyes and took a deep breath. Her patience was already thin enough as it was with everything that had happened. "Kuyo, you attacked one of my best friends. I don't know what you want with Blyke, but you could've <b>killed</b> him. I've already lost someone close to me and the last thing I want is for the same thing to happen to someone I care about which includes <em>everyone</em> in this room, as well as you. But as far as I'm concerned, I can't trust you until you explain yourself and answer some questions my friends and I have."</p><p>The blue haired man pondered this for a minute before sighing, nodding his head. </p><p>The girl had a point.</p><p>She had no reason to trust him after the stunt he pulled tonight.</p><p>"Alright. What do you want me to answer?"</p><p>Remi turned her head to everyone, the others giving her nervous and uncertain glances before she turned back to him. "First things first, why were you attacking Blyke?"</p><p>Kuyo hummed slightly as he leaned back in the chair. "I don't know if I can tell you that information without causing you a lot of trouble. But...what I will say is that I was kind of "tasked" with bringing Blyke in to some people."</p><p>Remi raised an eyebrow. "Tasked? By who? And why do you have to bring him in?"</p><p>Kuyo looked away. "I...can't say. Not here at least. But Blyke can fill you in on some of those details. As for why...I can only say that these people have been threatening others and I've been trying to put a stop to all of that."</p><p>Remi nodded, dropping it for now. "Second, do you know anything about the events that happened here at Wellston?"</p><p>Kuyo looked away. "There's only so much I know. I only saw on the news about what happened to the school and to Vaughn. But Blyke told me that someone meant missing....I was aware that the people I work for recently got their hands on some god-tier. What I wasn't aware of was that it was a student, let alone from here. I take it you all know him? John Doe?"</p><p>The group froze, eyes going wide and everything seeming to freeze.</p><p> </p><p>He knew...</p><p> </p><p>He knew who had John.</p><p> </p><p>Arlo straightened up in shock, his eyes going wide as Remi sharply inhaled. "You know about John?"</p><p>Before he had time to answer, Seraphina stood up, walking up beside Remi's chair and straight to the man. Remi wanted to stop her but just seeing the look on Seraphina's face made her hold her hands away from the magenta haired girl. </p><p>Seraphina's sky blue irises stared at Kuyo, burning into him. The blue practically dripped into his soul, scorching him like hellfire and the man felt like he was about to spontaneously combust. </p><p>She reached down and almost yanked the man off the chair as she snatched a hold of his shirt, bringing him to face level with her.</p><p>Her teeth ground together and Kuyo gulped upon seeing the anger seeping through her expression. Seraphina was trembling with rage at this point and everyone could tell she was willing herself to not knock this mans lights out once more. </p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>
    <em>"Where. Is. John?!" </em>
  </b>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Kuyo trembled a bit but shook his head. "I-I..."</p><p>The girls grip got tighter on his collar. "Answer me! <em><b>NOW!</b></em>"</p><p>Everyone else in the room trembled a bit as well. </p><p>Despite the fact that Seraphina was no longer the ace of Wellston, she maintained her ability to instill absolute fear into others. </p><p>This time was no exception.</p><p>She was p*ssed. </p><p>Absolutely seething. </p><p>Her best friend had been kidnapped and now was apparently being held by the same people Kuyo was working for. </p><p>It was taking everything in her for Seraphina to not throw him out the window, the only thing stopping her was the need for answers.</p><p>She didn't care how volatile or aggressive she was acting right now. She <em>needed</em> these answers if she had any shot of finding John again.</p><p>Kuyo shut his eyes tightly. "I-I can't tell you!"</p><p>"And why the hell not?!"</p><p>"Because I don't know where they're keeping him, ok?!" Kuyo bit his lip before Seraphina dropped him, still hovering above him. </p><p>Everyone turned back to Isen who only nodded. "He's telling the truth."</p><p>She stared back at him with fury in her gaze. "You keep saying 'they.' Who are these people you're talking about?"</p><p>Kuyo looked down at the floor, the tiled dining room seeming more enticing than everyone's glares. "Again...I wish I could say, but I can't."</p><p>Seraphina reeled her arm back but was stopped as Remi caught her arm, motioning for the girl to sit down. "Seraphina, go sit down. I'll take care of this."</p><p>The magenta haired girl huffed before walking over to another chair and dropping herself down onto the seat, now joining Arlo in watching the man like a bird of prey.</p><p>Remi looked back to the man. "Kuyo? Do you at least have any idea what they want him for? Why they wanted to get their hands on him in the first place?"</p><p>The man looked down. "I don't know for certain. There's a number of reasons why. But if I had to place my bets on one of them, I'd say ability testing."</p><p>Isen raised an eyebrow and stood up. "But wait, isn't that illegal? I thought the authorities banned ability testing on people? That's why we have companies like NXGen who specialize in researching abilities."</p><p>Kuyo huffed slightly. "Look here kid, there's a ton the lot of you don't know about the world beyond Wellston. Maybe Remi and Blyke to an extent, but they've only seen a mere <em>fraction</em>. You guys may think it's all black and white, that everything will work themselves out, but that's not the case out there. Out there, people are <em><b>dying</b></em>. They're being kidnapped and tortured and we as superheroes are trying to change that, except now we're also falling captive and being held against our will because of selfish and arrogant people."</p><p>The man sighed, trying to calm his flare of anger threatening to lash out. "What I'm trying to say, is that you can't trust everything you're told. NXGen specializes in ability research, that much is true. But where do you think they make all these advancements in their research? Where do you think they come up with all these ideas for substances like ability dampeners and amplifiers?"</p><p>Everyone snapped their heads up to look at Kuyo. Remi paled. "Wait...'ability amplifiers?' But the only ones with that is-!"</p><p>Seraphina slammed her hands down on the table. </p><p>"You mean to tell us that NXGen has been working with EMBER?!"</p><p>A small smirk played at Kuyo's lips. "Now you're getting it. Yeah, those guys don't exactly like us meddling in their business when they try to deal out their drugs to maniac mid-tiers for testing."</p><p>Seraphina stared forward slightly, eyes wide and unfocused. "That means...that means they have John too...!"</p><p>It all struck her like a bullet and the pain felt just as unbearable.</p><p>She slumped back down in her chair as she buried her face in her hands. She started trembling as unpleasant thoughts circling wildly through her brain and dragging her psyche down the drain with it.</p><p>What the hell were they supposed to do?!</p><p>John was currently in the hands of murderers powerful enough to take on high tiers and absolutely mutilate them!</p><p>How the hell were they, a mere group of high school kids, supposed to rescue John from an shadow organization like EMBER?!</p><p>Seraphina felt her breathing pick up slightly as panic set in, her hands shaking a bit. </p><p>Elaine got up and rushed over to her, gently rubbing the girls back. "S-Seraphina? Are you alright?"</p><p>The bluette nervously waited for the other to answer, not knowing how to comfort her or help her.</p><p>Seraphina eventually looked up at the rest of the group, a wild emotion akin to fear rushing over her face. "How...How are we going to get him back?! What are we supposed to do?! We've all seen what they've been doing to vigilantes and now John's with them now and who knows what they'll do to-!"</p><p>Isen got up, standing in front of Seraphina as he gently clasped her shoulders. "Hey, calm down. Look, we'll figure this out. Kuyo said they need him for ability testing, right?"</p><p>The girl nodded her head slowly. </p><p>"That means they need him. He's of value to them right now as an asset. As long as he's of use to them in some way, shape, or form, they won't kill him."</p><p>Isen squeezed her shoulder slightly. "It's gonna be ok. We'll figure this out together, alright?"</p><p>Seraphina still felt the clasp of dread clutched around her heart, but she slowly took a deep breath and nodded, forcing her panic away and back into the deepest recesses of her mind.</p><p>Meanwhile, Arlo stared at the man, his face scrunched up in disbelief at what he heard. "What?! That's impossible! There's no way a shadow organization like EMBER would just be able to work together with them right under the authorities noses!"</p><p>Remi and Seraphina looked to each other before staring at Arlo, the blonde looking at them in confusion. "What?"</p><p>The pinkette stood up. "Arlo, who do you think has been backing NXGen since they first opened? Who has been helping them fund their research campaigns? Don't you think they would've know by now that their money and resources were going towards other activities? Besides, when a new drug gets put out on the market, where " </p><p>The blonde stared at her for a minute before his eyes went wide as saucers. He quickly shook off his shock however and turned his head away. "No. No the authorities would never help them! They're not like that."</p><p>Remi wanted to argue. She wanted to scream and slap the truth straight into Arlo's face.</p><p>But she couldn't.</p><p>She didn't have the heart to. Not after seeing his aunt and seeing the older teen's reaction upon seeing her, on seeing him genuinely happy.</p><p>Honestly, Remi didn't know what would happen when Arlo confronted this fact.</p><p>She just hoped that everything would be alright. </p><p>On the other hand, Kuyo huffed and rolled his eyes. "You are so blind sometimes Arlo. Anyways, Blyke had said that you lot were planning on heading back out into the field to track down EMBER, right?"</p><p>Remi nodded. "Yeah. We're trying to not only track down EMBER, but someone we know who could help us find out where John is."</p><p>Kuyo hummed. "It seems we both have a common interest, just different people."</p><p>Isen raised an eyebrow as he turned his attention over to the man. "What do you mean?"</p><p>"What I mean is that...I need your help. <em>Desperately</em>."</p><p>The mans expression faded into a somber one, pain writing itself in his eyes.</p><p>He didn't know how to say this and to be blunt, he was terrified of what would happen if he said something.</p><p>But he had no other choice. It wasn't like he could take Blyke back with him and they'd be ok with it. Besides, he really didn't want to hurt the kid. He had taken a genuine liking to Blyke, the redhead reminding him a bit of Rei with his demeanor. </p><p>Kuyo took a deep breath, planning out his next words carefully.</p><p>"People I know...People I <em>love</em> have been taken by...you know who. I was tasked with bringing Blyke back in exchange for their safety. I can't go back empty handed or they will kill them."</p><p>Remi felt her throat close up.</p><p>Just when he thought these people couldn't get anymore cruel, they go ahead and once again prove her wrong.</p><p>She felt her knuckles ache as she clenched her fists, white hot rage boiling within her.</p><p>'How dare you people do this?! How dare you kidnap innocent people and use them as blackmail?!'</p><p>Arlo placed a hand on her shoulder and Remi visibly relaxed. She took a deep breath as she cleared her throat. </p><p>"Kuyo, we need your help too. And I think we could both benefit by helping one another."</p><p>The man raised an eyebrow, confused as to what she was getting on about. Isen walked over to Remi's side and stared at him, eyes still glowing. "What Remi means is, we could use your help. You have people who need your help and so do we."</p><p>Kuyo's eyes went wide as he whipped his head back towards Remi.</p><p>The girl stared at him with a collective calm in her eyes. "Kuyo, we'll help you get your loved one's back. In exchange, you help us locate and bring John back. Deal?"</p><p>The man looked at the girl, almost not trusting her words.</p><p>But the more he sat there, the more he saw Rei sitting in her place, eyes alight with a determined air.</p><p>'Rei would be so proud of you Remi...he would be happy to see how far you've come and how much you've grown since you entered Wellston.'</p><p>Kuyo took a deep breath as he gave his answer. </p><p>"When do we start?"</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Chapter 30 (pt 2): end.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0034"><h2>34. Perspective</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hi everyone!</p><p>We have officially caught up with with where the book is posted on wattpad. </p><p>Unfortunately, there's not going to be any more daily updates as I will update on both platforms when the new chapters are ready. </p><p>Hope you guys enjoy and I'll see you all in the newest update! ^-^</p><p>-KittCat</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>*WARNING*: Mentions of abuse, mental trauma, torture, and blood. Viewer discretion is advised please!</b>
</p><p> </p><p>Heels clacked quickly against the floor as her footsteps echoed down the sterile smelling hallway. </p><p>She honestly hated the smell of bleach and cleaner that seemed to follow her from the lab, to the grey and dreary hallways, to even outside in her car.</p><p>This place was lifeless and lacked anything that made it worthwhile.</p><p>How ironic...</p><p>The only things that would cut between bleach and grey was the potent smell of copper and the occasional crimson littering the floor.</p><p>But she didn't have time to focus on that right now. </p><p>Leilah was running behind as she raced down the hallway, trying to make up for her lapse in timing over her afternoon work.</p><p>She so desperately wanted to use her abilities to get there quickly, but if she did...</p><p>Well, she'd rather not think about the consequences.</p><p>Since their meeting in the office that day, Leilah had been trying to visit the ravenette after her work hours, the teen still weary of her.</p><p>She had only spoken with him twice since then, but John seemed to not mind. Truth be told, Leilah might have guessed he was actually thankful to have peaceful company</p><p>Leilah had had been using Keon's orders against him in a strange way.</p><p>The cop had wanted her to tear the teen down more. </p><p>He knew Leilah could have the ability to do so as she bore a striking resemblance to a certain magenta haired girl, not to mention she could break his spirit even more by using cruel tactics of manipulation, by guilt tripping the teen into believing he was the cause for her sisters suffering.</p><p>Although to an extent, he already did believe that.</p><p>But Leilah would absolutely never guilt trip him to those extremes though.</p><p>For one thing, she didn't have the heart to do such a cruel act. She may have been a high tier, but even <em>she</em> has suffered at the hands of mental and psychological abuse.</p><p>Gaslighting, manipulation, guilt tripping, threatening.</p><p>You name it and she's dealt with it at some point in her life.</p><p>But for another thing, John didn't <em>deserve</em> that. He didn't deserve to hate himself more than he already did.</p><p>Has he done awful things before? Yes.</p><p>Has he made mistakes that he should apologize for? Absolutely.</p><p>But John was still just a kid. </p><p>He made mistakes and instead of people around him trying to teach and lead him in a better direction, they damned him to the furthest extent and left him even more broken than before.</p><p>It doesn't help that he grew up in a society that condemned the lack of abilities and had branded him as something less than a human. </p><p>While what he did in response was cruel and wrong, that didn't mean he deserved <em>this</em> kind of punishment.</p><p>Leilah had seen his files that Keon had oh-so-graciously gifted to her to look over.</p><p>And honestly? She was <b>appalled</b> about how easily the man could walk around, almost bragging about how he managed to use John's deepest, most darkest insecurities against him to break the teen into becoming a soulless, obedient husk. </p><p>When the man had also brought up how he was promoted after that incident and how his work had been used as an example of how to deal with 'rowdy, problematic high tiers,' Leilah was almost seeing red and it had taken everything in her not to strangle the man until he turned blue.</p><p>She despised how Keon managed to benefit from John's suffering. But what she hated the most was how normalized this kind of behavior was around this place.</p><p>Everyone casually talking about how easy it is for them to kill vigilantes, how their newest inventions like ability amplifiers and dampeners would be a hit on the market for vengeful mid-tiers, how once they had control over this vigilante situation, they could stop worrying about all the crap going on and go back to normal.</p><p>What she wouldn't give to leave this place.</p><p>If only her loved ones safety wasn't on the line...</p><p> </p><p>Leilah froze in her tracks when she got to John's cell, hearing yelling coming from the other side of the heavy steel.</p><p>The woman jumped when she heard a loud clang and felt worry run through her.</p><p>She was about to walk in when the door swung wide open, Keon's assistant stepping out.</p><p>The lavender haired woman stepped back a bit in shock. "Z-Zander? What are you doing here?"</p><p>The man looked at her and huffed. "My job Leilah. I have to watch over John while Keon steps out for the afternoon."</p><p>Leilah furrowed her brows. "And does that include hurting him?"</p><p>Zander scoffed. "Oh please Leilah. I get that you're more soft than everyone else here, but what do you think this kid is going to do unless we all knock some sense into him? He's already rampaged through two high schools Leilah! <em>Two! </em>He sent half of his classmates to the hospital and did the exact same thing to some of Wellston's top four ranked students. He's a f*cking <b>monster</b> Leilah. If we don't do something about him now, who do you think will?"</p><p>The woman bit her tongue as Zander shrugged on his coat. "Anyways, I'm taking my leave for the evening. I believe it's your turn to watch over him now."</p><p>Leilah stared at him as he walked away, stuffing his hands in his coat pockets. It wasn't until she heard the click of the large metal doors echo through the hallway that she turned her attention back to the cell.</p><p>She rushed in and shut the door behind her. "John?!"</p><p>When she didn't get an answer, she looked around in the almost pitch black room, smacking her hand on the wall in search of a light switch until she found it.</p><p>'Why the hell do these people like keeping the lights off when they do this?!'</p><p>She flicked the lone fluorescent bulb on, a pained hiss following suit. </p><p>John blinked the fuzzy glare out of his eyes as his gaze landed on familiar lavender. "L...Leilah?"</p><p>The woman took notice of the large bruise along his forehead, a bit of blood running past his nose.</p><p>She flinched and briskly walked over and started undoing the lock on his cuffs. When John flinched away from her, she slowed down her movements. "Why was Zander in here today? I thought Keon wasn't allowed to send his assistants in to look after you?"</p><p>John huffed slightly, tugging his wrists securely into his chest once they were freed. Leilah saw him favor his right arm slightly, the teen gripping his limb in obvious pain. "No clue...but I don't think he's supposed to be in here...before he left, he threatened to report me to Keon if I even mentioned he stepped foot in here."</p><p>Leilah narrowed her eyes slightly as a wave of uneasiness washed over her. "What did he do to you?"</p><p>John shook his head a bit before speaking.</p><p>"Nothing out of the ordinary if that's what you're talking about...slapped me around a bit, belittled me...the usual."</p><p>The woman nodded herself but paused as John continued. "<b>But</b>...there was a moment before you walked in when he was delivering his threat to me...I don't really know how to describe it, but there was this absolutely <em>unhinged</em> look in his eyes...it was almost like he was holding himself back from doing something."</p><p>John shuddered as he rested his gaze on the table. "Truth be told, it was unsettling. One moment he was confidently going on about how worthless I am and how nothing I say or do will matter, how I'm just everyone's pawn. The next, he's threatening, almost borderline begging me not to tell Keon he was here...he changed at the drop of a dime and then right back again before he walked out."</p><p>Even Leilah couldn't help but shudder at the mental image. </p><p>Zander sounded...almost psychotic.</p><p>It shouldn't have fazed them considering how almost everyone at this damned place <b>was</b> practically psychotic. But something about the way John described Zander's actions set off alarm bells in her head. </p><p>Part of her wanted to tell Zander to stay away from John or even tell Keon despite how ludicrous that sounded. </p><p>Even though she hated the cop for what he was doing, she knew the man was predictable when it came to his actions and what goals he was aiming for. This was purely business for Keon despite the fact he benefited from all this.</p><p>But from Zander?</p><p>She couldn't find a reasonable motive.</p><p>While she didn't know much about the assistant cop, she knew the man was an elite tier who mostly kept to himself. There wasn't anything that stood out about the man excluding this new information. </p><p>However, the man had no reason to be here and was trying as best he could to make sure he wasn't caught.</p><p>With so many unknowns, he was too much of a wild card for either of them to deal with.</p><p>But at the same time, if there was a reason Zander was now starting to visit John when Keon wasn't around, telling someone could place John in even more danger with the blue haired man.</p><p>Leilah stared at John. "Has he come in any other times besides today?"</p><p>John shook his head no.</p><p>The woman looked at the surface of the table before sighing.</p><p>She couldn't do much with this even if she were to tell someone. But, she would have to start keeping an eye on Zander too. </p><p>That would have to wait though. "Here, lets get you out of this damn chair."</p><p>The ravenette flinched and gasped when Leilah placed a hand on his arm, the teen smacking her hand away. His eyes went wide and his breathing hitched in his throat as he leaned away from her, holding his dislocated shoulder. "Don't touch me...!"</p><p>The woman jumped slightly but instead waited as she saw the gaze of terror lingering in John's eyes disappear, the teen holding his arm as he looked away from her.</p><p>"I'm sorry John...I should've asked first."</p><p>The teen slowly turned his gaze back to her as she carefully held out her hand. "Just tell me when you're ready, ok?"</p><p>John's eyes darted between her emerald gaze and her hand, his mind struggling to make a choice.</p><p>After what felt like forever, which was only two minutes, John slowly held out his good arm to her. </p><p>Leilah slowly and gently draped his arm over her shoulders and helped him up.</p><p>A groan of pain escaped John's lips as his vision briefly blanked out. </p><p>He heard her voice go faint as his ears rung before his senses came back.</p><p>Once Leilah helped him to the side wall and he was seated against the floor with his legs resting in front of him, the teen let himself relax a bit.</p><p>Leilah dropped down next to him knees against her chest as John shut his eyes for a bit. </p><p>The woman didn't know when the teen had last slept but she was getting worried. John's eye bags more than rivaled Darren's at this point and the lack of rest was surely getting to him by now.</p><p>Leilah was snapped out of their trance of silence as John let out a shaking breath, a question coming to mind. "Keon's still asking you to break me, isn't he...?"</p><p>The woman gave a dry chuckle. "Oh you wouldn't believe it. He gave me your files from your old high school and his report from when you were first here in an attempt to further 'convince' me."</p><p>John bit his lip slightly. "You saw my transcript...right?"</p><p>The woman nodded as the ravenette beside her gripped onto the fabric of his pants. "And you know what I did to all of my classmates, right?"</p><p>Leilah raised an eyebrow. "Yeah...but what does that have to do with-?"</p><p>John looked at her slightly as he cut her off. "Then why are you still here?"</p><p>She remained silent for a minute as she processed the question. Once she spoke, her voice came out soft. "What?"</p><p>The ravenette sighed. "You saw my records Leilah. You saw what I did to all my classmates. I beat them all to the point of hospitalization. You know how horrible of a person I am. So why...? Why are you still here?"</p><p>Understanding finally washed over her and Leilah hummed slightly as she rested her chin on her knees. "Well, there's always two sides to every story. What's written on paper isn't always the truth. It's merely one's perspective."</p><p>She shifted her gaze forward as she heard a sigh come from the ravenette. "Does it even matter Leilah? Perspective doesn't mean jack-sh*t when it's still so blatantly obvious what happened. I brutalized all my classmates. Why would anyone want my perspective on that?"</p><p>The woman said nothing for a bit, the faint humming of the bulb over the table the only source of sound.</p><p>John tilted his head to the side slightly as Leilah finally spoke. "Because it gives reason. It gives meaning behind your actions. Nothing is ever just black and white John. Our actions are always going to be this jumbled grey mess that we try to pick apart in order to make sense of. But when we try to see our actions from others view points, it becomes difficult because we can't understand nor justify why they did what they did to us. But they can. Because they're the ones who made those choices. That's why perspective is so important."</p><p>John hummed in acknowledgement. "If only that were true..."</p><p>Leilah turned her attention to him as she sat up, turning her body to face him. "Alright then. Tell me: what is one thing that has happened to you that you felt like was <em>without</em> a good and proper reason?"</p><p>John raised an eyebrow. "What? That's ridiculous-"</p><p>"Just tell me already." The woman gave him an un-amused stare.</p><p>The teen turned his head away slightly.</p><p>What exactly was there to say?</p><p>There had been so many things in his life that have happened without reason and so many that happened for a reason! How was he supposed to choose?!</p><p>Eventually though, his thoughts halted on one specific memory. </p><p>It made his blood boil hot in his veins and his found himself subconsciously gritting his teeth at the mere thought of it.</p><p>It was the event that started all this madness to begin with. He hated what had happened that day so much and had it not been for him, John may not have been stuck here to begin with. </p><p>John stared at the wall ahead of him, his eyes glazing over with an emotion Leilah couldn't quite identify. "...back when I was at Wellston and I was still under the guise of a cripple...there was this guy who befriended me, Arlo. He was the king at the time and at first, I didn't think much of him. I thought he was just another stuck up high ranker when I first talked to him."</p><p>Leilah nodded a bit. "Go on."</p><p>John clenched his fists. "We bumped into each other quite frequently. He had saved me from a group of bullies at the time and I thought..." John sighed. </p><p>What was he doing? This was ridiculous! </p><p>"No, forget it, it's <em>stupid</em>."</p><p>The woman in front of him shifted, wanting him to continue. "No, keep going John. Please?"</p><p>The ravenette huffed. He felt so dumb doing this. Why was he even still trying to find a reason why this happened?</p><p>He shouldn't care and he wished he didn't care.</p><p>So then...why does he still feel so <em>hurt</em>...?</p><p> </p><p>The ugly emotions he felt that day in the field started crashing against him in waves and it took everything John had not to just scream it all out at the woman beside him. "...I thought he was like Seraphina to an extent...that he was just another high ranker forcing himself to be something he doesn't want to be. That he too was placed on a pedestal he couldn't escape from. It took me awhile, but I actually thought we were starting to become friends."</p><p>Leilah saw John clench his hands as the teen pulled his good leg up to his chest. "But then that f*cking *sshole...it turned out all of it, every single bit of it, was <b>fake</b>. All our conversations together, all those encounters and all his damn order BS...it was all fake! The damn bastard dragged me out into an open field and ambushed me with two of his goons all over a stupid hunch that I had an ability!"</p><p>John gave a dry laugh. "And you know what?! I was <em>stupid</em> enough to actually f*cking <b>trust</b> him! I was <em>stupid</em> enough to put my trust in a lying, backstabbing son of a b*tch and look where it f*cking got me!"</p><p>John rested his forehead on his knee, huffing a little as he tried to tame his breathing. "But...what's even worse is that I still can't understand <em><b>why</b></em>...Why did he do this to me...?! I wasn't hurting anyone, I wasn't causing any problems, I wasn't trying to do anything but just be myself...!"</p><p>Leilah felt her eyes widen slightly as John's voice broke a little. "And I still feel stupid for wanting to know why...I feel so f*cking stupid for wanting to know why he did this to me in the first place...when I just want nothing more than for him to disappear from my life..."</p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>The woman moved back over to his side, placing an arm gently around his shoulders. The teen jumped at the contact and almost swatted her away but remained in place, though slightly out of her hold.</p><p>Leilah let him calm down slightly before speaking. "You're not stupid for wanting to understand why John. It's human nature to want to make sense of things beyond our viewpoint. What Arlo did to you hurt you in more ways than one and it wasn't right of him to do it."</p><p>The woman was silent as John nodded a bit. She gave him a second to process her words before continuing. "John, why do you think this 'Arlo' guy did what he did?"</p><p>The ravenette huffed in anger. "He wanted me to use my abilities all so he could place me somewhere in his stupid hierarchy...!"</p><p>Leilah nodded. "And why is that?"</p><p>John raised an eyebrow to which Leilah responded. "I mean why do you think Arlo wanted to find out your ability? Why did he want to place you somewhere in the hierarchy?"</p><p>John was about to answer with a retort about the blonde but paused as the gears in his head turned. </p><p>Why <em>did</em> Arlo want to place him somewhere in his system so <em>badly</em>?</p><p>He knew the *sshole was obsessed with the hierarchy to the point the point it was almost unhealthy ('Oh the irony' he would think later on).</p><p>It was a minute before a set of memories popped into his head.</p><p> </p><p>........................</p><p>
  <em>The blonde knelt down in front of the ravenette, a cocky smirk crossing his face.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>John paid him no inkling of concern as he sipped on his juice box.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The two stared each other down as Arlo spoke. "So, there's this one guy I know. He has no credentials and is absolutely useless. <b>Yet</b>, he still thinks he can talk back to me. He walks where I walk, sits where I sit,"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>John's eyes narrowed ever so slightly as he listened to the blonde go on.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Arlo balanced his arms on his legs as he stared the ravenette down. "and it's <b>really</b> starting to tick me off."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The blonde waited a second before finally asking the million dollar question, John slurping down his juice. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>"If you were <span class="u">king</span>, what would <b>you</b> do about him?"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>John backed up slightly as Arlo stood up, his face contorted in contained anger as he stared the ravenette down.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>He hadn't meant to punch the blonde. But waking up from...<b>that</b>...always left him out of sorts when he first opened his eyes.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>He half expected the blonde to knock his lights out right then and there as his ocean eyes pierced into his gaze.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"You should know..." His voice was dangerously low and John had to keep himself grounded as Arlo loomed over him.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"I absolutely <b>despise</b> people who refuse to learn their <span class="u">place</span>."</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>John watched Arlo as the blonde leaned against the fence. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Let me clarify something: I didn't help you because I wanted to become BFF's."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>He huffed and John could practically feel the eye roll the blonde was giving despite looking away.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"I did it because my biggest <b>peeve</b> is disruption in <span class="u">hierarchy</span>." He looked at John who was still listening in silence.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Four people can't team up on one guy, beat him up, and then say he was <b>'put in his place.'</b> That's not how <span class="u">order</span> works."</em>
</p><p>........................</p><p> </p><p>Now that he thought more deeply about it, John hadn't realized that Arlo also seemed...obsessive...like Seraphina had been. </p><p>In almost all of their encounters, the older had always brought up hierarchy and order. </p><p>John thought the blonde was just passionate about it as he was Wellston's longest reigning king. Keyword being <b>was</b>.</p><p>But the more he let the memories and ideas merge together, it became frighteningly obvious that just like the magenta haired girl he had helped grow out of her unhealthy standard of perfection, Arlo too harbored a toxic mindset revolving the hierarchy.</p><p>John finally looked to Leilah. "...if I had to guess...order. In all the time we've interacted, he was always going on about order."</p><p>The woman nodded. "You never grew up with this kind of teaching John, but when you're born and raised as a high tier, you're forced to live up to impossible expectations. Ultimately, these expectations can cause you to develop some obsessive behavior with what you're forced to focus on."</p><p>John looked down at the floor slightly. </p><p>The ravenette didn't feel sorry for the blonde in the least. </p><p>He still despised Arlo for everything he had done and hated the ludicrous idea of potentially forgiving the *sshole.</p><p>He honestly thinks he would <b><em>never</em></b> forgive Arlo.</p><p>The blonde had reopened so many wounds that had taken John years to finally seal shut. He had made John re-live some of his worst moments and had forced the ravenette into a position that had brought him nothing but unyielding misery.</p><p><b><em>But</em></b>...and despite how much it pained him to start admitting it, he started to <em>understand</em> Arlo a little bit more.</p><p>He himself could never understand growing up in a household where he was forced to take priority on being at the peak. But after witnessing the other two god tiers and their behaviors, he now started seeing that growing up with that mindset only made them cold and distant, that they had found no value in self joy or living for yourself.</p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>They had been brainwashed into believing they were nothing more than tools, that their sole purpose in life was to serve others.</p><p>Unlike with Seraphina though, John hadn't yet gotten through to Arlo, the blonde more set in his ways and not on the edge of snapping like ex-ace had been.</p><p>John groaned as he buried his head in his hands.</p><p>This was all so much to take in...</p><p>Leilah refrained from patting his shoulder before John spoke up.</p><p>"I...I honestly don't know what to think right now Leilah..."</p><p>The woman gave a soft smile to the teen. "And that's ok. Everything takes time."</p><p>John nodded before Leilah spoke up. "I should probably get going soon. I can't stay for long."</p><p>John sighed slightly but nodded, knowing it was for the best.</p><p>However, as he sat there, another thought crossed his mind, one that he had been mulling over for awhile now and something he had reminded himself to ask Leilah about.</p><p>Arlo wasn't the only one he knew of that seemed obsessive.</p><p>That woman he met, Valerie...she also seemed quite entrenched in what she believed in.</p><p>There was a glaring similarity between Arlo and Valerie. But the ravenette didn't know what it was.</p><p>He had been thinking over what happened when he first met Valerie and wondered exactly just what kind of game the woman was playing. Something about the way she had just casually brought up how he should join EMBER didn't sit right with him. It was one of the various reasons he said no.</p><p>A contracted killer like Valerie wouldn't just casually offer him a coveted position in a top secret organization. Sure, his ability was versatile and had many possibilities. But even his ability alone wouldn't be enough to be considered.</p><p>So, why? </p><p>John looked to his side where Leilah sat. "Hey, Leilah?"</p><p>"Hm?" The woman watched the teen as his gaze grew cold. "Do you know of a blonde woman who goes by the name Valerie?"</p><p>John felt Leilah tense up, her hand subconsciously squeezing his shoulder and causing him to hiss in pain.</p><p>The woman immediately removed her hand as the teen gave a faint glare. "Sorry John...! But...how do you know Valerie?"</p><p>John fiddled with a loose pebble that had been aimlessly sitting on the floor. "Before you were told to talk to me...Valerie brought me in to talk with her.</p><p>Leilah froze slightly, feeling a lump forming in her throat.</p><p>"John, when Valerie brought you to her office, what exactly happened?"</p><p>The ravenette looked away slightly. "It...it was strange...she tried getting me to warm up to her and just talked. Obviously I wasn't falling for that crap and told her to get to the point. Eventually though, she told me how she and her department needed my help for...for killing vigilantes. That I would be a valuable asset to them out on the field."</p><p>He flicked the pebble away and listened as it clattered somewhere off against the other wall. "But something didn't seem right...I may be strong, but there's no way they would just offer me a position of that caliber when I haven't done anything to prove they can rely on me. It was almost out of the blue the way she brought it up..."</p><p>Leilah scoffed and turned her head away, shaking it back and forth slightly. John heard her mutter "That f*cking b*tch." under her breath and immediately, he became confused.</p><p>"What's going on?" He had never heard the woman swear before but he had already picked up that she wasn't normally the type of person to do so.</p><p>The woman looked back at him, the anger once in her eyes fading away. "Valerie was lying. She doesn't want you to help them with vigilantes. At least, not in the way you'd think."</p><p>John eyed her for any form of lies, nodding slightly when he found none. "Go on..."</p><p>Leilah quickly looked at her phone screen, furrowing her eyebrows at the time. She stood up and brushed herself off. "I'm sorry John. I can't say."</p><p>The teen looked at her as he shifted where he sat, hissing in pain a bit. "Wait, Leilah! What are you talking about...?! What do they want with me?!"</p><p>The lavender haired woman bit her lip. "Look John, I myself don't entirely know what's going on. But, what I can say is that Valerie is not the kind of person who you should trust. She is as ruthless as she is cunning." </p><p>Leilah knelt back down in front of him, eyes burning into his soul. "Whatever that woman tells you, you can't trust a damn word she says, understand?"</p><p>John felt a bead of sweat run down his face as he nodded. Leilah nodded back. "Get some rest John. I'll be back either tomorrow or afterwards, ok?"</p><p>The teen nodded once more slightly. </p><p>Leilah let him rest on the floor and was about to leave when John spoke up. "Leilah...? Are they using Seraphina against you?"</p><p>The woman turned to see Johns dull gold eyes staring at her, waiting for an answer. She thought she could see the briefest flash of concern in their exhausted depths but quickly brushed it off. "They're using everyone against me John..."</p><p>With that, the woman left.</p><p>John sat there in silence as his thoughts were racing.</p><p>He looked down at his hands that he had just noticed were trembling.</p><p>There were so many unknowns right now...and he had no genuine clues to help him sort this out.</p><p>As he sat there, his thoughts bouncing around all throughout his mind, there was one thought that gathered them all together with one question.</p><p>'What are we going to do...?'</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Chapter 31: end.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0035"><h2>35. Mistakes</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Wandering through the clothing racks again was like walking through heaven for Seraphina.</p><p>She loved drifting through the various articles of clothing, wondering what would look good on her and what would be interesting to try on.</p><p>It was relaxing to finally be doing something normal for once.</p><p>Well, as normal as it could get given the circumstances.</p><p>This time to the mall however, she wasn't looking at clothes for herself. </p><p>While shopping for herself was easy as she was well aware of her own tastes, she had almost no clue on how to shop for others, all with very, <em>very</em> different ideas on clothing and attire.</p><p>It was a bit tricky but she was slowly making progress. And while progress was slow, she was glad that students now had a designated time slot to leave campus.</p><p>Granted, she had to bring someone along with her given her current predicament, but she'd rather have Arlo with her than no one at all.</p><p>Not only that, she chose him to come with her as she had no idea what could possibly fit the towering blonde.</p><p>She knew about the other's sizes as they had written them down, trusting Seraphina's choice in clothing. </p><p>Arlo, however, did not.</p><p>Despite the others attempt at convincing Arlo to just give her his sizes, he refused, Seraphina having to compromise and bring him along.</p><p>Currently, Arlo was also wandering around, looking at clothes. He wasn't as much of a clothing snob as she was, but he at least had a good eye. </p><p>Seraphina had picked out some simple, but form fitting clothes for the others. She would let them add on later.</p><p>So far for Remi, she had gotten her a grey t-shirt and a high-necked sleeveless zip-up vest in light pink with a set of white stripes. She had also taken the liberty of getting her some plain grey pants.</p><p>Sera didn't have to worry about shoes since Remi owned a decent pair of calf boots.</p><p>She had also stumbled upon some full leather gloves and padded arm sleeves for the pinkette to help better keep her fingers and arms protected from any heat.</p><p>For Blyke, she got a red shirt, a long, hooded black jacket that cut off at the shoulders, and finger-less gloves. She had also gotten a pair of dark grey combat pants and he already owned a pair of work boots. </p><p>Isen was a bit more difficult.</p><p>His style was very particular. he didn't like overly tight clothing but he also didn't want anything abnormally baggy.</p><p>So, she settled upon an orange turtle neck with a black over shirt and a dark brown trench coat. Isen insisted on wearing his pants from school but Remi had convinced him to allow Sera to get him new shoes, his uniform shoes not having enough traction to keep up.</p><p>Seraphina had just grabbed a pair of shoes for Isen when Arlo walked over to her, looking slightly uncomfortable.</p><p>The magenta haired girl raised an eyebrow. "Arlo? Everything alright there?"</p><p>He sighed as he ran a hand over the back of his neck. "I...I might need some help."</p><p>She simply stared at him before getting up, brushing her jeans off. "What happened to Mr. 'I can handle this by myself?'"</p><p>Arlo huffed. "Look, I'm not exactly used to shopping like this. Can you help me out just this once?"</p><p>The girl raised an eyebrow. "Hm...well, admitting you have a problem is the first step to recovery. So sure. Why not?"</p><p>She almost smirked as she walked by Arlo who had a look of pure annoyance.</p><p>As the two surveyed the hangers, Arlo decided to ask something. He had been curious about it for awhile now and wondered if the girl beside him could answer some questions. "Seraphina, I've been wondering, why are you still so invested in John? I understand he is, well, <em>was</em> your friend, but that doesn't mean you're obliged to go after him. Why do you still care so much about him after everythi-?"</p><p>He stopped when he saw the look she gave him.</p><p>Seraphina sighed as she looked at a dark blue shirt with a white v-like stripe. "I'll explain when we're done here. For now, let's just find you some suitable clothes." She threw the shirt in his face before walking off to keep looking.</p><p>The blonde had eventually found a pair of grey pants and some dark grey boots. Seraphina had also tossed him a pair of arm guards, the leather looking slightly uncomfortable as it was brand new.</p><p>Arlo had asked her where she found them and why he needed them. The girl only turned and pointed to the discount bin where junk items had been tossed to and then gestured to his arms. "You and I both know your arms are the weakest spot on you when you're using your shield. Hopefully, they'll help provide some added protection from whatever you'll face out there."</p><p>The blonde wanted to argue but bought them anyways, realizing there was no point in fighting with Seraphina.</p><p>Once they had gotten their bags, they headed for the food court to grab some food and a drink before heading out.</p><p>Seraphina bought her usual drink and a pretzel while Arlo, much to Seraphina's surprise, bought a plain black coffee.</p><p>'How original.' She thought.</p><p>They eventually found an empty table to sit at in the food court.</p><p>The two sat across from one another in an awkward silence for a minute before Seraphina spoke up. "Arlo...what do you know about John?"</p><p>The blonde raised an eyebrow. "Where is this coming from?"</p><p>The girl across from him raised an eyebrow, silently referencing his question from back in the store before Arlo finally caught on. "Well, he's always angry, aggressive, violent, he acts like a damn child-"</p><p>"No." Arlo stopped as Seraphina took a sip of her soda. "I meant, what do you know about John <em>before</em> all of this happened?"</p><p>There was silence between the two for a minute before Arlo finally spoke. "Annoying as hell. His confidence was almost unsettling and he was almost unbearably cheery once he warmed up to me..."</p><p>Arlo swore he saw the faintest smile cross her face. "But, it was a John you started to open up to, right?"</p><p>The blonde gave her a crazed look.</p><p>What?!</p><p>Where did she get that assumption from?!</p><p>And like hell he would ever start opening up to-!</p><p> </p><p>..................................</p><p>
  <em>John pointed his finger at Arlo slightly. "What about you? Do you look up to anyone?"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Arlo's eyebrows knitted together. "Uhh what?"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>John's mouth curved into a small smile. "C'mon, there's gotta be one person! Sera maybe?"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Arlo would've busted out laughing at the statement if he weren't so stubborn. Instead, he gave an annoyed chuckle. "Her? Psh! No way." He turned his head to look out the window, his thoughts starting to turn a bit.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>As Arlo sat there, he couldn't help the image of an electric man with wavy green hair and bright citric eyes who managed to see the best in everyone. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Part of him wondered what would happen if Rei were sitting with him and John in this booth.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>If he had to guess, Rei would urge him to try the boba tea, knowing if he didn't agree, the green haired man would've just taken the coffee cup and chucked it out the window. Had that happened, John would've probably laughed his *ss off and Rei would probably join in when the two saw Arlo's reaction.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Arlo sighed slightly as he turned back to look at the ravenette sitting across from him as he uttered one name. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Rei."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>John was obviously confused, one of his eyebrows raising up. "Who?"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Arlo turned his gaze down to the table slightly. "He was my predecessor. I never agreed with the way he ran things. But, it was difficult to dislike him."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The blonde turned his gaze back to John, who watched him with full attention. "He had quite the knack for recognizing others talents. And, he was extremely powerful."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>He didn't know why he was telling all of this to the ravenette. He hadn't even talked this out with Remi entirely yet. But before he knew it, he had found himself actually being honest with John. He found himself being open not just with the ravenette, but with himself. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>And, dare he say, it actually felt relieving to finally talk about this.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Arlo didn't even notice the tone in his voice change ever so slightly, growing a bit quiet, a bit distant. "If he were still alive, I wonder which one of us would be stronger."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>John's eyebrows furrowed together, a mix of confusion and concern flashing across his features. "What do you mean by that-?"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Arlo stood up suddenly, finally snapping back into his senses. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>What was he doing, talking about all of this?! </em>
</p><p>
  <em>He wasn't here to make friends or to have a damn heart to heart!</em>
</p><p>
  <em>He was just here to figure out what John was hiding, nothing more, nothing less!</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Besides, how could he ever trust someone who was withholding such a tremendous amount of power? Who had been hiding <span class="u">who</span> and <span class="u">what</span> he really was all along?!</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Someone that unpredictable...they could <b>never</b> be trusted.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Arlo slid a $5 bill across he table. "I just remembered. There's something I have to take care of. This is for my drink." </em>
</p><p>..................................<em><br/></em></p><p> </p><p>Arlo froze in the middle of sipping his coffee, the sudden flashback and the familiar drink mingling together, now starting to taint the drink in his hand.</p><p>'Was I really opening up to him...?'</p><p>He instead put the cup down, staring down at the table slightly. He was silent for a moment before he spoke. "Even if I did, what does that have to do with John right now?"</p><p>The girl shook her head. "It has everything to do with John right now."</p><p>Seraphina leaned her head against her hand slightly. "What I mean Arlo is that the John from then compared to now, he's probably still in there somewhere. It's just been buried underneath a lot of his anger and pain."</p><p>Arlo scoffed. "Seraphina, what makes you so sure that the John we knew then isn't fake? What if <b>this</b> is the real John and the cripple persona you knew was just a lie?"</p><p>Seraphina crossed her arms. "And how do you know if it isn't?"</p><p>Arlo shut his mouth as Seraphina went on.</p><p>"Look, I'm not saying either side of John is real or fake. But before he vanished, he was very lost and he just seemed defeated. Like he had given up on everyone, including himself. It doesn't make what he did right, but that doesn't mean I'm just going to leave him to brew in this pain alone."</p><p>Seraphina turned her head up as Arlo leaned back in his chair. "I don't know what pain you think he's in, but whatever he's going through, he's inflicted it on himself. None of this would've happened had he just taken his place."</p><p>The magenta haired girl sighed. "Maybe. But I do know that a good portion of this pain wasn't caused by his own tendencies."</p><p>Arlo stared at her in confusion for a minute as she mindlessly played around with a straw wrapper.</p><p>Her expression darkened and her voice grew cold. "You know, when I came back from my suspension early, I was waiting for John to come back at his apartment. It was just going to be a little surprise since I knew he must've been having a hard time without me. One second I was sitting by the steps, the next, I see him stumbling down the sidewalk doused in blood."</p><p>The blonde nodded slightly. He didn't like to recall that day. It had been the day he had greatly underestimated John's ability and had gotten all of Wellston wrapped up in this mess. "It...was a pretty brutal fight."</p><p>Seraphina nodded. "It was brutal in more ways than one I think..."</p><p>Arlo looked at her in confusion. "What do you mean?"</p><p>She looked at him. "You know about John's suspension from New Bostin...but you don't know <em>why</em> it happened. John...he had this close friend named Claire. I won't go into much detail about what happened between them, but in a very obscure attempt to bring John back to his senses, Claire brought him out to a field with about a dozen of their classmates in an effort to show John that what he was doing was wrong."</p><p>Seraphina gave a tired sigh. "Needless to say, it didn't end well for anyone involved when things got heated...Claire and the others were beaten, John was detained by the authorities, and the rest is history."</p><p>The blonde blankly stared at her as he let this information sink in.</p><p>Taking a bite out of her pretzel, she went on. "Arlo, I think you made him relive the New Bostin incident. What you did that day...it sounds <em><b>exactly</b></em> like what Claire did to him. She took him out to an open field and ambushed him with a group of their classmates. But with Claire, she had a somewhat valid reason to do so. Granted, she could've handled it better, but she had a genuine reason for doing it. But with you? You did it out of selfish intent. And I think it hurt him in more ways than any of us ever could have realized."</p><p>The blonde across from her huffed slightly, not knowing how to process her words. "Please Seraphina, I know that I screwed up, but how bad could it have been-?"</p><p>"Enough to make him drop to the ground and break down into <em>f*cking tears</em> Arlo."</p><p>He immediately shut up. </p><p>For one thing, he rarely ever heard the magenta haired girl swear.</p><p>But for another, the blonde didn't know how to take that mental image. </p><p>John? Crying?</p><p>It sounded absolutely insane.</p><p>Obviously everyone had emotions and they all had to let them out eventually.</p><p>But he couldn't imagine John expressing his emotions in any other form other than anger and rage.</p><p>That's all he had ever seen from the ravenette.</p><p>He could never imagine John on his knees, tears streaming down his face. He could never imagine John broken to the point of breaking down in front of his best friend.</p><p>He could never imagine John as anything less than strong and fueled by rage.</p><p>And that is what had kept him blinded for so long.</p><p>He never considered John as an actual human. He had only seen John at face value instead of thinking further about how his actions may have hurt the ravenette in the long run.</p><p>But now he was...and many things were starting to make so much more sense than before.</p><p>Arlo stared straight forward, his gaze growing distant as a certain event came to mind, one that he thought he had handled as best as he could.</p><p>He thought he had already come to terms with the fact that yes, he screwed up and he did try to apologize for it...</p><p>But he should've taken the time to understand <em>why</em> he was apologizing.</p><p>At first, he did it solely to try and put a stop to all the chaos John had created in the fallout of their battle. He did it in an effort to somehow try and make things right.</p><p>Arlo himself thought it was a genuine apology and to his credit it was.</p><p>But looking back on it now, looking back on John's reaction and how he refused to believe the blonde, Arlo now realized that his apology seemed fake to the ravenette.</p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>It wasn't that Arlo had been lying when he said he regretted what he did. It was that he had been both far too late and far too early with his apology. He had been too late to realize his mistake sooner and he had been too early when giving it to John, the teen already having stared his rampage and throwing the school into chaos. </p><p>Now he realized that to the ravenette, it seemed like Arlo was just trying to save his own neck in an effort to minimize the damage being done to him when the damage he had done to John was far too great.</p><p>The blonde ran his hands over his face. "Dammit..."</p><p>He really had been blind.</p><p>Seraphina eventually flicked her straw wrapper into the trash can next to them. "Look, not all of this was your fault Arlo. But when...or if...we get John back, you two need to talk it out and bury the hatchet. Because nothing, and I mean <em>nothing</em> can get better while you two are constantly fueling each other's rage. Nothing will get better for <b>any</b> of us unless you two make an effort to fix things or at the very least just cooperate."</p><p>She let her gaze linger on Arlo for a minute. "I'm not asking you to be buddies with him. But you owe it not just to him but to me to at least try."</p><p>Arlo glared down at the table.</p><p>How was he supposed to forgive John for what he did to Remi?</p><p>How was he supposed to forgive John for all the harm he put the school through during his very brief time as king?</p><p>John destroyed all the royals and sent them all to the damn hospital!</p><p>He's made so many unforgivable mistakes!</p><p>How was he supposed to ever forgive him?!</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>'"Everyone makes mistakes Arlo...and sometimes, we don't see them until they're right in front of our eyes. But they don't define you. What does, however, is how you move on, how you try to better yourself and make amends for your actions. And yeah, sometimes your mistakes will hurt people. But that's when you take action and take responsibility for what you've done. Even if they don't forgive you in the end, that's ok. Because you at least tried and that's all anyone can ask for."'</em>
</p><p> </p><p>Arlo relaxed slightly. Even now, Rei's advice could still guide him when he least expected it. </p><p>The blonde sighed a bit as he tried to process everything. </p><p>Forgiveness seemed impossible...</p><p>But making amends may not be out of his reach.</p><p>He looked back up at Seraphina, his lips pressed into a thin line. "I don't know if I can forgive him Seraphina."</p><p>Just as she was about to argue, he held up his hand. "<b>But</b>. I am willing to talk this out with him as long as he's willing to do the same. All I can do is try to make amends for what I've done. Whether he accepts that and we move forward or not is beyond my control."</p><p>Seraphina stared at him, quite surprised with his response.</p><p>She wasn't expecting him to give such a thought out answer.</p><p>But, Arlo was right. She knew that it was very unlikely the two would ever forgive each other. At least, not without a lot of time and work. But at the very least, she was glad he would try and make the effort to work this out.</p><p>The magenta haired girl nodded. "And that's all I ask Arlo."</p><p>The two sat in another round of silence before Arlo spoke up this time. "You still haven't really answered my question. I know you and John were close, but why?"</p><p>Seraphina hummed slightly in response. "Well...to put it simply, he showed me just how miserable I was being at the top."</p><p>She looked up to see Arlo looking completely baffled. </p><p>It slowly dawned on her that she never really told Arlo why she left the royals to begin with.</p><p>Yeah, she told him she didn't want to be queen and that she wanted to pursue her own interests, but she never elaborated why.</p><p>She leaned back in her chair slightly. "Arlo...back when I was queen...I never realized just how angry and upset I was with my position. Everyone was always looking up to me as this beacon of perfection, as this goddess to worship. But the truth was Arlo, I was <b><em>miserable</em></b>. I <em>hated</em> being the center of attention, I <em>hated</em> how everyone had something to say no matter how well I did. But I shoved it all aside because I thought that this was just the way things were, that what I thought didn't matter..."</p><p>Seraphina looked up at the blonde as she felt a surge of emotions run through her. "But John...he was the first person to not act like I was above him. He was the first person to actually treat me like a human, like an equal. Obviously, we didn't get along at first...but the more we talked, the more he showed me that I don't have to be everyone's idol. That I don't have to be perfect."</p><p>She felt her vision blur a bit as tears began to gather in her eyes. "That's why it hurt so much when I found out he wasn't a cripple. Because I thought that he was just using me and that everything he said was a lie, that everything we had been through together was just a game. But looking back on it now, I realize that John <em>was</em> honest with me when he said he wanted to live his life how he wanted to. It just so happens that he wanted to live as a cripple despite how foolish it was..."</p><p>Arlo felt his expression soften as she wiped at her eyes. "I know what happened between us that day in the classroom wasn't right and that we both have things we need to sort out before we can ever go back to how things were. But how can I give up on he one person who actually cared about me for me? How can I give up on John when he never gave up on me?"</p><p>She took a deep breath as she willed her tears to stop. "He's my best friend Arlo. I can't just give up on him. Not when he needs me the most."</p><p>The magenta haired girl looked down at her hands now resting on the table.</p><p>Deep down, she knew her friendship with John would never be the same after this. She knew that if they were ever going to have that same bond again, things would have to change between them.</p><p>Seraphina was terrified yes, but she was willing to do it if it meant she could have John in her life again.</p><p>A hand gently rested on Seraphina's knuckles and snapped her out of her thoughts. She looked up at Arlo who looked at her with an expression she didn't think she ever saw on him before.</p><p>It was a strange mix of sympathy and concern. Her and Arlo had never been as close as she had been with John. But, Seraphina couldn't deny that they had somewhat of a friendship however strange it was.</p><p>The blonde kept his voice steady as he spoke, though it was obvious he was struggling to process everything she just admitted to. "I didn't know that's how you felt being queen. All this time, I thought it was John who was forcing you to act outside of your role. But now I realize it was a decision you came to terms with because of him." He looked down slightly. "Seraphina...I'm sorry. I never should've tried to force you back into this. I should've respected your choices instead of trying to make you be something you hated."</p><p>The girl across from him gave an amused huff. "Wow, you asking me for help and apologizing to me all in one day? Who are you and what have you done with the real Arlo?"</p><p>The blonde rolled his eyes and took his hand back, grabbing his drink and sipping it.</p><p>It was silent for a minute before Seraphina spoke up. "Hey..."</p><p>Arlo looked over and saw the faintest smile lining her face. "Thank you Arlo...I'm glad you're trying to make things right."</p><p>He nodded slightly. "It's the least I can do."</p><p>Seraphina nodded before looking down at her phone. "Oh, we need to get going. We're only allowed to be out for a few hours and our slots about to be up in 15 minutes."</p><p>The blonde almost spat out his coffee. He almost choked before he started coughing. "Then why *COUGH* are you sitting here talking to me?! *COUGH* It takes 10 minutes to get to the high school by bus!"</p><p>The two quickly grabbed their bags and took off for the exit of the mall, hoping that they could catch the bus on time.</p><p>They made it just in time and Arlo mumbled under his breath about how Seraphina had no sense of time management, the girl quipping back if that was a reference to the fact she couldn't freeze time anymore.</p><p>All the while, as the two bickered, they both felt grateful deep down that things were starting to get better, that they could finally start putting their mistakes in the past.</p><p>It wasn't much, but they were gradually changing.</p><p>Blyke, Remi, Isen, Cecile, even the teachers at Wellston.</p><p>They were all gradually changing.</p><p>Where this change would take them, nobody knew.</p><p>But for whatever was about to come their way, they were ready.</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Chapter 32: end.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0036"><h2>36. Watching Eyes</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>A/N: Hi everyone! Here is an early update for all of you! As usual, I hope you all enjoy!</p><p>Love ya guys! ^-^</p><p>-KittCat.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>
  <b>*WARNING*: This chapter contains violence, interrogation and mentions of severed limbs. Viewer discretion is advised please!</b>
</p><p> </p><p>Wellston Private High School.</p><p>What a sight it was.</p><p>It was picturesque with its cleanly laid bricks and the foliage scattering the lawns surrounding campus.</p><p>You wouldn't even think anything of malicious intent happened at this school. Not with the aura of serenity encasing the grounds and seemingly the students meandering throughout the hallways. </p><p>If only it really were as peaceful as it looked...</p><p> </p><p>Keene glared at the officer in front of him, the woman, whose name was Callisto, looking borderline insane as she held her arm to the side, a torrent of water floating and winding between her fingertips.</p><p>Behind the groundskeeper was a senior, her dark brown locks pulled back into a braid and her bright, almost crystal blue eyes staring in a rage filled shock at the cop just in front of Keene.</p><p>The woman huffed in annoyance. "Get the f*ck out of my way!"</p><p>Keene narrowed his eyes. "Not until you tell me what this girl is in trouble for."</p><p>The officer straightened her posture. "That girl is coming with me for disrespecting an authoritative figure!"</p><p>The girl let a growl escape the back of her throat, her eyes flickering to life. "You f*cking b*tch! You were harassing a group of mid and low tiers talking in the hallways outside of their classroom! Like hell I was just gonna stand there and do nothing!"</p><p>Keene had to hold the senior back before she did something she would regret. "Willow, stop it! You're only going to get yourself into more trouble!"</p><p>She scoffed as she turned to the man. "'More trouble?!' Are you even listening to yourself?! Students have been getting sent to detention, harassed, and beaten up by these jack*sses for over a week now all because some of us even <em>talk</em> to those of different ranks! There's nothing more that these f*ckers can do to us because we have <b><em>nothing</em></b> left! They've taken our clubs, our friends, our right to choose and yet they still want <b>more</b>! I can't even talk to my cousin anymore without almost getting berated by these *ssholes and I'm sick of it!"</p><p>She activated her ability and a set of translucent, feathered wings appeared on her back, a bright blue glow illuminating her figure. She then turned her attention to the woman wielding a tendril of water in her hand and opened her wings slightly. "You wanna take me to detention?! Then go right on ahead! But not before I kick your *ss in you piece of sh*t!"</p><p>Keene tried to grab her wrist but Willow was too fast, kicking off the ground and sailing towards the woman who threw the tendril of water at her ankle. It created a vice grip around her leg as the woman tightened it and slammed the girl into the wall.</p><p>This didn't stop the senior as she got back up and dashed at the woman, her wings cutting through the air like butter as she swiped one of them at the cop.</p><p>A series of jagged slash marks appeared on the lockers where the woman once stood.</p><p>It wasn't enough though as she had merely ducked, freezing a stick of ice in her hand and slashing at the girls leg.</p><p>Willow yelped and rolled on the floor, stopping on one knee as the sudden strike left her unbalanced.</p><p>She narrowed her eyes and dashed once more, only the cop was having none of this.</p><p>Callisto pulled more water from the drinking fountain next to her and in one swift motion, froze Willows wings to the floor as she kicked the girls legs out.</p><p>The brunette gasped, struggling to set her wings free.</p><p>'Dammit! How can I be outclassed by such a stupid ability?! I can fly for f*cks sake and yet she can pin me down with just a little bit of water?! Just how overpowered are these damn high tiers?!'</p><p>The cop walked towards her but not before Keene stepped in, throwing a punch at the woman's stomach. She hissed as she stumbled back, glaring at the groundskeeper. </p><p>Keene had his eyes narrowed in pure rage, a sight not many had the privilege of seeing. "That's enough! You and your co-workers have done enough and we're all tired of your games! What will it take for you people to finally leave us alone?!"</p><p>The woman straightened up as she closed her open hand. Keene's eyes went wide as a torrent of water blasted towards him and threw him into the lockers. He hissed in discomfort as both his wrists were frozen and pinned to the side of his head against the metal.</p><p>Keene grunted as he tried to yank himself free.</p><p>Straightening out her shoulder length teal hair, Callisto's bright fuchsia eyes bore into Keenes as she grabbed him by the neck. </p><p>"Until all these worthless brats here finally learn where they stand in the food chain, nothing will change." Another large ball of water collected in her hand. </p><p>"And you'd be wise to stay the HELL OUT OF OUR WAY!"</p><p>The woman was about to freeze Keene's head to the wall until a foreboding presence loomed over them all, a certain school nurse grasping the woman's arm and yanking her back, causing her to drop the sphere of water.</p><p>He pinned her to the opposite wall as his aura menacingly surrounded her.</p><p>"CAN'T YOU PEOPLE GO ONE DAY WITHOUT HURTING SOMEONE?!"</p><p>Darren glared daggers into the woman's eyes and much to his surprise, she seemed effected by his abilities, quickly shutting her own off. Unfortunately, it was short lived as the cop then smirked, twisting his arm before socking Darren in the face, the man yelping as he held his now bloody nose.</p><p>He stumbled back to gain his bearings but he was too slow against her. </p><p>The school nurse blocked a series of punches, trying to find an opening.</p><p>While he was decent at fighting, he couldn't do much against someone who was much faster than he was.</p><p>He managed to get a hit in on her face but it did little to slow her down. The woman landed a punch on his side and used this new opening to uppercut him.</p><p>Callisto then kicked his legs out from underneath him and the man cried out as his head cracked against the floor, leaving his vision spinning. </p><p>Keene struggled to free himself from the wall as he yanked at his arms. It was a shame his ability didn't give him more added strength. What was even worse was the he was frozen to a locker, the ice having meshed and expanded through the grates and leaving him completely pinned.</p><p>Once she was sure the two weren't going to try anything else, the cop grabbed Willow by the arm, the ice melting away from her wings, and dragged her off. The elite tier was swearing like a sailor as she was forced towards the detention hall, eventually deactivating her abilities when she realized it was useless.</p><p>Darren slowly sat up, holding his head as he spat out a bit of blood collecting in his mouth.</p><p>The two teachers looked at each other and shared a frustrated huff.</p><p>Keene gave Darren his now usual impassive stare. "Darren, what are you doing here? I don't need your help."</p><p>The nurse gave him a glare. "Keene, you almost had your head frozen to the lockers. What was I supposed to do?"</p><p>"Let it happen! I already told you, I'll handle this on my own! I don't need your help Darren! You've already caused enough damage as it is and I have to attempt to keep everything intact!" Keene glared down at the man, rightfully p*ssed.</p><p>Darren looked away slightly. "Keene...I'm sorry. I should've listened to you about trusting the authorities. You were right; they can't be trusted and I foolishly told them about all that was happening." He groaned as he slowly got up. </p><p>"You can be p*ssed with me all you want Keene, but right now, we need to work together. All the other teachers, they're having issues keeping these guys in line. The detention hall is almost constantly filled with students and we're running out of ideas on how to fix this mess...please, we can't afford to be fighting amongst ourselves."</p><p>Keene looked down.</p><p>He had been pretty harsh on Darren over the past week. </p><p>In all honesty, he couldn't blame the man for trying to get them some help. The headmaster was currently out of commission and while doc always complained about how much of a hard time John gave him, he knew the school nurse cared about the ravenette, both him and Seraphina never giving the man a boring moment in his life.</p><p>With him missing, the man was worried. Not just about him but for the rest of the students in the school.</p><p>The groundskeeper sighed slightly. "Ok...I'm sorry too Darren. You were just trying to help, you didn't know this would happen."</p><p>The school nurse gave a 'no sh*t Sherlock' look to him before sighing. "Let's get ya out of there."</p><p>After a lot of struggling and the possibility of using a blowtorch, they eventually freed Keene from his frozen restraints.</p><p>Darren huffed. "I'm gonna need a coffee. Let me grab a mug and we'll start discussing some sort of plan in my office." </p><p>Keene rubbed his eyes and nodded. "I may need a mug myself. I know I was dedicated to my apples, but even they can't keep up with all this bullsh*t."</p><p>The school nurse rolled his eyes. "That's what I keep trying to tell you."</p><p>As the two walked down the halls to grab their coffee and a tonic to patch up the school nurse, they failed to notice the set of eyes peering at them from the shadows.</p><p>They almost seemed to huff, their crimson eyes rolling as they meshed back into the shadows.</p><p>Slithering down the hallway, they eventually reappeared in an empty classroom. </p><p>Well, almost empty.</p><p>The orange haired woman appeared in front of Terrence, the kid tapping his fingers nervously along the desk he sat at. He jumped as Marcella materialized into the room, leaning back against the chalkboard behind her.</p><p>"Alright kid. Give me your report."</p><p>Terrence gulped before nodding. "Uh...so far, nothing to report as of yet. Obviously they know he's missing but I haven't seen or heard anything else from them regarding the matter as of late."</p><p>He shifted uncomfortably in his seat as the woman casted her crimson gaze upon him. She lifted one of her hands into her field of view, her claws flicking together and causing a couple of sparks to ricochet off the steel and onto the floor.</p><p>She walked over to the young teen and sat down beside him, leaning back in a chair. "You know...I hate it when people lie to my face."</p><p>The dirty blonde felt sweat drip down the back of his neck. 'How did she know?!' But it didn't take a genius to know that she too was also keeping tabs on what went on within the school.</p><p>Two sets of eyes were better than one in their opinion. But right now, Terrence wished he was the only one.</p><p>Marcella straightened up, leaning forward to hold his gaze in her own.</p><p>"Have I ever told you why?"</p><p>He quickly shook his head no.</p><p>The orange haired woman chuckled and the sound sent shivers up Terrence's back.</p><p>She tapped her claws together as she studied them once more. "Well my dear friend, a group of liars are what caused me to gain <em><b>these</b></em>." She held up both of her metallic clawed hands, the metal glinting dangerously.</p><p>Terrence studied them for a second, realizing that they weren't just weapons, they were prosthetics.</p><p>The metal was tethered to her hands, being nothing more than an extension of what he could only assume used to be flesh and bone. </p><p>She smirked when she saw his eyes widen. "Fascinating, aren't they? A true miracle of technology and medicine. And all because a friend lied to me when I was so very young..."</p><p>Standing up, Terrence shrunk down in his seat, flinching as her heels clacked against the floor. "You wouldn't believe what my life was like before joining EMBER. I grew up as a mid tier in a rich town, crime everywhere, but I won't bore you with the details. School was expensive and with my dad just being fired from his job, money was the only thing that mattered to me."</p><p>The woman stopped to stare out the window. "Then one day, a friend of mine came to me, saying he knew a way to make a quick buck and they would split the earnings in half with me. Sounds simple enough, no?"</p><p>Terrence decided to slowly nod, the woman in turn chuckling at his reaction. "That's what I thought too. that was, until I found out who his parents were."</p><p>She walked along the wall, digging her claws into the brick and causing an agonizing screech to follow suit, Terrence clamping his hands over his ears with a whimper to try and escape the hideous sound.</p><p>Marcella stopped and flicked her fingers forward, sparks flying from her hands. "Vile pieces of sh*tty high tiers. Using their son to lure in potential criminals ripe for the picking. My family and I were struggling to make ends meet and all they could care about was their next victim. And it just so happened to be me."</p><p>Terrence fearfully watched her as she rounded in front of him. "You want to know what they did to criminals in my home town?" She lifted up her hand. "They make you pay a fine. But when you have no money, they find <em>other</em> ways to teach you a lesson."</p><p>The teen felt sick as he tried not to imagine the gruesome scene before she spoke once more. "After that, the only thing I realized mattered in this pathetic society was power. It took me a good amount of time before I realized just how much potential such a simple ability like mine could hold."</p><p>Watching the teen slightly, she continued. "To say I finally realized what was so great about being at the top was an understatement. It was beautifully intoxicating for me. Rising through the ranks, beating down everyone who had dared to challenge me, it was all so <b>easy</b> to obliterate my opponents now."</p><p>She looked over at the door in front of her, her mind wandering back to those days. "And once I had upped my ability to its greatest potential, I went back home for a little bit of 'fun' shall we say. Well, it was fun for me. Not for my ex-friend. If you're curious, let's just say he and his family paid their fine and even a little more."</p><p>It took everything in Terrence not to throw up on the floor beside him as Marcella flicked her sharpened fingers. "So Terrence, when I say I hate liars, what should I expect to hear from you?"</p><p>The dirty blonde looked up at her as he trembled in his seat. He couldn't stop the waver in his voice as he tried to avoid eye contact with her. "T-The t-truth..."</p><p>She smirked as she placed her hands on opposite sides of the desk, looking down at him. "Then what are you waiting for? I'd love to hear what you have to say."</p><p>He leaned back in his seat and tried to focus long enough to speak. "They...they're looking for John...at least, R-Remi and Seraphina are...I s-saw them searching by Woaba Boba and the mall a-awhile back...I don't know if the others are h-helping them though..."</p><p>Marcella nodded, her smirk not once leaving her lips. She patted the teen on the head, Terrence jumping as he felt the metal gently tap against his hair. "See? That wasn't so difficult, now was it?"</p><p>As soon as she pulled away and told the teen he was free to go, Terrence turned himself invisible and bolted out of the room, sprinting down the halls and as far away from Marcella's watchful eyes as he possibly could.</p><p>'Why did I do this?! Why did I involve myself with all of this madness?!'</p><p>Because just like Marcella, he had come from a less than ideal background and Wellston had been his ticket to change his life. It didn't stop the fact that he still had to pay entrance fees and in order to so, he needed more cash than his parents could afford.</p><p>Looking back on it, there were so many other options he could've gone with.</p><p>Yet at that time, taking on this ridiculous job for the offer of getting his entrance fees paid in full was a blessing.</p><p>Only now did he realize it was actually a curse and he had no way to reverse it.</p><p>He was stuck tending to these maniacs, stuck heading their every beck and call.</p><p>He didn't know why he kept running for as long as he did, but he eventually collapsed outside of the boys dorm, wheezing and coughing as he tried to regain fresh air into his lungs.</p><p>Part of him thought this place was safe from her. He thought he could board himself up in his dorm room, wrap himself in his bed sheets and somehow, he would be safe from that terrifying woman and her co-workers.</p><p>But he knew that no matter where he went or what he did, there was nowhere safe from that woman. There was nowhere safe from <b>any</b> of them. </p><p>No matter where he ran or who he turned to, the authorities, EMBER, they where <em>everywhere</em> he went.</p><p>As he sat on his knees on the cold sidewalk, he wondered just what he was thinking when he decided to help these people take over a school.</p><p>Because of him, students were getting hurt, getting desperate and not to mention that someone was now missing and probably being tortured by these maniacs.</p><p>He buried his head in his hands as he thought to himself, thankful his ability was still shielding him from any prying eyes out there. </p><p>'What have I done...?'</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>As she listened to his receding footsteps, Marcella took out a file and skimmed over it. 'Now...what to do about you two?'</p><p>She looked over the first photo. 'You've been a hassle to deal with, but that's ok. I'll find you eventually.'</p><p>She set her gaze on the photo of a man with dark skin, pinkish-tan hair and red eyes.</p><p>Her gaze drifted over to the other photo of an older man, his smile beaming as steal grey eyes watched the camera and raven locks were gelled back into a ridiculous hair style.</p><p>'As for you...your editor can't hide you forever. I'll figure out how to deal with you soon enough.'</p><p>She stuffed the folder back into her bag by the floor, slinging it over her shoulder. </p><p>Activating her ability, she melted back into the same shadows she had materialized from, the sensation of blending into the shadows comforting to her as she relished in her ability to take on such an effortless form. </p><p>Being placed here at Wellston had seemed like such a waste of talent to her.</p><p>While she only had to be present certain days, it often felt mundane working like this.</p><p>But, she couldn't argue with the fact that her ability was probably the most useful to EMBER right now.</p><p>Besides, she owed everything to these people. She owed them her life for helping her obtain such a high standing in the authorities.</p><p>She owed them a debt for fixing her mangled hands when they had given her the chance to work for them.</p><p>So, she did as she was told. Because she had no reason to complain. </p><p>Not when she had the world at the tips of her metallic claws.</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Chapter 33: end.</p><p> </p><p>~/EXTRA\~</p><p> </p><p>Name: Willow</p><p>Level: 3.7</p><p>Ability: Wing Blades</p><p> </p><p>Name: Callisto</p><p>Level: 5.8</p><p>Ability: Water Manipulation</p><p> </p><p>Name: Marcella</p><p>Level: 6.4</p><p>Ability: Shadow Morphing </p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0037"><h2>37. Now Or Never</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The sun had crested below the horizon hours ago. </p><p>Despite that, there was a select few who were now more awake than ever and both eager and anxious to start this insane mission they had set upon.</p><p>They were worried, but they wouldn't be alone.</p><p> </p><p>Seraphina impatiently tapped her foot as she sat at the kitchen counter, waiting for the others to arrive. She had everything set for the others to immediately change the second they got to her dorm, their respective outfits all folded and piled nicely on the living room couch.</p><p>Part of her wished there was a 5th outfit waiting there for her, calling her to go out and discover all the secrets that had been shoved away from public eyes.</p><p>Yes, she had thought about becoming a vigilante. But it wasn't for the respected reasons that people like Rei and Kuyo had decided on.</p><p>She had many reasons for wanting to be out there. John, her abilities, what the authorities were hiding.</p><p>It wasn't for a want to save low tiers she had no emotional connection to.</p><p>Yet vigilantes like Kuyo and Rei had been out there risking their necks to save the innocent lives of people who had no one to turn to, who needed a hero to save them in their darkest time. They had been doing everything in their power to try and make a difference in this world and all she could think about were her own self-interests.</p><p>The magenta haired girl sighed slightly.</p><p>She knew she wasn't the only one who had felt that maybe they were doing this for the wrong reasons. </p><p>During school, when her and Remi had managed to hide from the prying eyes of the cops patrolling the halls, the pinkette had confessed the same thoughts to her as they hid behind a set of dusty book shelves in the back of the library.</p><p> </p><p>......................</p><p>
  <em>Seraphina peeked around the corner, making sure the coast was clear before looking back at the girl in front of her. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Tonight was the night that the group would sneak out onto the streets, the night they would help Kuyo free the captives.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>But the pinkette seemed nervous.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>'Last minute jitters?' Was the first thought that came to Seraphina's mind.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>But once she had signaled for her to start talking, Remi buried her head in her knees.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"I...I don't know how to explain this. But, I want to talk this over with you."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>She looked up at the magenta haired girl who sat down perpendicular to her, her back pressed against the book shelves as she kept an ear out for more cops.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Remi took a deep breath.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"It's just...part of me wonders if we're doing this for the right reasons. I know helping these people is the right thing to do, but what about our motives for doing so? Originally, we were only helping these people because Kuyo has information we need. But...I don't know...it seems almost selfish to be doing this again under these circumstances."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Seraphina looked down at her shoes, nodding a bit. She could understand Remi's thoughts to an extent. For a certain point, it did seem selfish.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Helping out these people just to gain information from Kuyo? She could understand why Remi would feel that way.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>But, there was one thing she was overlooking.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>She turned her gaze to the pinkette. "Remi, under normal circumstances, yeah, what you guys are doing would be considered selfish. But how can you expect to help others if we don't sort out our own problems first?"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The magenta haired girl leaned her head back against the wooden shelf. "Remember how after you were done being a..." She looked around before lowering her voice to a whisper. "a vigilante...that once you had returned and talked with John, you started to take notice of how things in those towns were the same as they were here?"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The other girl nodded as Seraphina continued. "Well, it's the same thing now Remi. We can't expect to change anything without first taking care of the problems right in front of us. We already have enough on our plates as it is and we can't make this a full time thing. Not until all these people are safe, John is found, and these cops are finally out of the school. How are we supposed to help others if we aren't taking care of ourselves first?"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Remi was silent for a bit as she stared down at her knees. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>As wrong as it felt, Seraphina was right. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Back when she was first a vigilante, she had set her sights on finding EMBER and the quickest way to them was through helping these towns. But the more she saw, the more she wanted to help these people. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Yet, she had failed to realize that what was happening to these people out in the real world, where her actions were just barely scratching the surface of so many issues, was happening right under her nose at the school.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>They didn't see that these thoughts of mistrust and abuse had been ingrained and rooted deep within their very school structure and were now exposed to them like a frayed live wire.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>It had been John who had shown them the damage, who had shown them how their ignorance led to so many hurtful and, dare she say, dangerous mindsets at the school.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>As much as she disliked the ravenette for all he's done, she couldn't find it in her to truly hate him for resenting them. Not when they should have taken their roles as royals more seriously and prioritized the safety of the school over their own agendas.  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>This time around was different. She and the others knew what they had to do. They had an end goal in mind and once they reached those goals, they could finally set their sights on making things right in this twisted world.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>But for now, they had to be swift and silent, leaving no trace of their presence for the authorities or EMBER to pick up.</em>
</p><p>......................</p><p> </p><p>Seraphina lifted her head up as she heard a knock on the door, quickly getting up and jogging over to greet the others.</p><p>Peaking through the small slit in the door, she eventually opened it completely as she saw the quartet standing before her.</p><p>She huffed as she let them in before swiftly shutting the door behind them. "You guys are almost 4 minutes late." </p><p>Remi sighed. "Sorry. Someone here was a little...uncooperative."</p><p>Isen scoffed. "Well exuuuuse me for wanting to take a nap before we go out gallivanting in the streets!"</p><p>The redhead behind him slapped a hand over his loud mouth. "Isen, shut up you dumb*ss! We don't know if there's people listening in on us...!" </p><p>Isen gave a nervous chuckle as Blyke removed his hand, giving him a small smack on the shoulder.</p><p>Remi and Arlo both held the bridges of their noses, already done with the orange haired teen and his antics. </p><p>And the night had only begun.</p><p>Seraphina rolled her eyes. "Well, now that you're here, let's get you...uh...suited up? Geared up?" She struggled to figure out what to even call this insanity at this point.</p><p>Isen chuckled before Remi grabbed him by the ear and dragged him to the couch to grab the rest of his clothes, having already brought along his pants.</p><p>Blyke huffed before looking to Seraphina and Arlo. "So, what exactly is the plan? I mean, last time we went out, we just changed out in an ally way from our outfits to normal clothes. Should we just change here or take our stuff with us?"</p><p>Seraphina nodded. "I already told Remi and Isen, but you guys are trying your stuff on here first in case we have to make adjustments. Once everything is set, you'll take your clothes with you to the subway station and arrive at the meet up spot. Same thing for when you guys come back. I'll be at my window to let you guys in and out."</p><p>The redhead nodded. "Okay...but what about Keene and the authorities? They've tightened up security ever sense the incident. How are we getting past them?"</p><p>Arlo hummed slightly. "Keene stopped having to keep the defenses up 24/7 ever since the authorities showed up. He only keeps it up during the day now. As for the authorities, Cecile owed us a favor for saving some of her club members from getting caught. So, I decided to call it in."</p><p>Blyke's eyebrows went up. </p><p>It had been no shock to anyone that Cecile and her group managed to come up with a way to still get news out to the public without the use of the school newspaper.</p><p>She had to pull some strings and figure out a lot of technical details, but she somehow managed to get the school press up and running in a way.</p><p>Though, it had become something more...serious than the school newspaper.</p><p>While they still had articles about the mundane things that were happening in the school and the usual headlines, the press had posted some interesting articles. Articles that happened to regard the shift schedules of the authorities as well as places they usually don't patrol and at what times. </p><p>These tidbits of information were passed between students and faculty whenever there was a chance. </p><p>Scribbled down on paper, written inside bottle labels, whispered quickly between neighboring lockers, and even jotted down in corrective red ink by teachers who had stumbled across the information. </p><p>Isen had been thrilled to learn about what was now being called the 'Shadow Press' and had immediately joined in, helping the others to work their magic once more.</p><p>The articles were available only online on a website that was tethered outside of the school's mainframe.</p><p>Being the tech genius he was, Isen managed to hide the website from public eye, the only way to access it being through an invite link provided by Cecile herself.</p><p>However, trading this knowledge from one person to another was dangerous for the press members, especially given they were risking everything to get this information.</p><p>They had to watch the authorities every movements and with many of the press members being mid or low tiers, they stood zero chance against a group of high rankers who were fairly versed in hand-to-hand combat.</p><p>Two members had almost been caught by security after hours and were about to be cornered were it not for a certain pinkette spotting the worried glances on their faces as they looked to her, their expressions begging for help. </p><p>The blonde had also been with her and in a split decision, she started yelling and bringing up an argument with Arlo, the older completely confused with what was happening. It wasn't until Remi gave him a half pointed look to her side that he finally caught on to the two kids hiding in a dead ended hallway and the two guards walking towards them, turning their full attention towards the arguing high tiers.</p><p>While the guards talked with them, the blonde spotted the two making a break for it down the hallway the guards had just come from.</p><p>Had it not been for Remi and Arlo, they would've been in far worse trouble than them.</p><p>The two had managed to scrape by since they knew of Arlo's connection to Valerie, no one brave enough to get on her bad side. </p><p>So, when Arlo decided to call in a favor from Cecile, as they needed the info on the nightly shift changes, she surprisingly obliged. </p><p>She had learned about what they had done and despite her bitterness towards Arlo and her apathy towards Remi, she cared about her press team more. So this time, she was willing to put aside her pride and return the favor.</p><p>Besides, nothing would get done if they were all at each other's throats. They had to be united now more than ever with everything that's happening.</p><p>The sooner they uncovered the truth behind all this madness, the better.</p><p>Speaking of which...</p><p>Remi rushed out of the bathroom, practically bouncing with excitement as she raced over and hugged Seraphina, the magenta haired girl not expecting the sudden embrace as she just stood there.</p><p>The pinkette pulled away after a second as she looked down at her clothes. She was wearing the full outfit and everything fit perfectly. She had to hand it to the girl, this outfit was much better than her previous one. It still offered her mobility while still giving her protection. "You've really outdone yourself Seraphina! This is amazing! It feels so mobile! Also, thank you for the arm guards and gloves! I never would've thought of these!"</p><p>Seraphina gave a small smile. "It's no problem Remi. I figured you could use them."</p><p>The group turned their heads as Isen slammed open the door dramatically, leaning back against the wall. "I know. I look awesome." He dramatically ran a hand through his hair as Remi squealed. "Eeee! You look so good Isen! I'm loving that trench coat by the way!"</p><p>The teen walked over as he let his coat billow behind him without a hint of shame. "I know, right? Now this is what you call a superhero outfit! Also look at you! You look ready to kick some *ss."</p><p>He then turned to Seraphina and bowed to her slightly, earning a small 'What the heck?' from the female. "Seraphina you are an absolute goddess!"</p><p>This only earned an amused chuckle from her as she shook her head, crossing her arms and leaning back against the wall. "It's fine Isen. I'm glad you like it."</p><p>The pinkette chuckled before looking to the other two boys in the room.</p><p>Arlo said nothing but nodded in approval and the pinkette swore he saw the faintest smile tugging at the corners of his lips.</p><p>Blyke on the other hand had his eyebrows raised as he looked at them. "Huh...you two <em>actually</em> look like superheros. Color me impressed."</p><p>Isen punched his arm before handing the redhead his clothes. "Well, you're about to look like one yourself. Go get changed already!" He shoved Blyke towards the bathroom as Arlo took one of the bedrooms to change.</p><p>After a few minutes, Blyke was the first to emerge, looking up at the group. If they didn't know any better, they'd say that Blyke looks like a more simplified character straight from a combat video game.</p><p>"Woah...any bad guys we face are gonna turn tail and run when they see you." Isen was the first to speak.</p><p>The redhead looked down at himself. "Well, these clothes definitely work. But...there's a small problem. You can still see my hair from under the hood."</p><p>Seraphina hummed to herself a bit. </p><p>Blyke had a point. He's already gotten caught before. If someone recognizes him, he could be traced back to Wellston and with the amount of cops roaming the campus, they would surely notice him.</p><p>An idea popped into her mind and she walked over to her dorm room. Arlo was changing in Elaine's room as the healer was currently baking in the kitchen.</p><p>Seraphina walked over to her dresser and pulled out a bottle of blue temporary hair dye.</p><p>She gave a small, yet sad smile as memories associated with the bottle came to mind.</p><p>It had been the year before during Halloween and while everyone had arrived at school dressed in costumes of varying degree, John had arrived at the school dressed as a certain nightmare inducing school nurse. He wanted to dress up like doc for the day and had even gotten the hair dye to top it all off.</p><p>Needless to say, it was comical when John ended up in the infirmary and pulled his best Darren impersonation on the man. She was left in stitches at the nurse's absolutely livid, yet somehow amused expression. </p><p>John had to touch up the hair dye a couple times so he had brought the bottle with him. Once school was over, John and Seraphina had spent the afternoon studying (much to his displeasure) and playing games. When it was time to leave, he had accidentally left the bag containing the dye and the lab coat he had gotten for his costume in the room.</p><p>She didn't know why, but while she returned the lab coat, she had kept the bottle, John saying she could just throw it out or something. She figured she could use it to prank the ravenette later on down the line.</p><p>Now though, it was being put to a different use.</p><p>She walked back out with the bottle in hand, waving Blyke towards the table. "Alright. I have some spare hair dye we can put to good use. Time to turn you blue."</p><p>"Wait, what?!"</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>After much convincing from Remi, Isen and Sera, Blyke had finally given in and let the girl dye his once bright cherry red locks into a matted blue. </p><p>He was currently sulking as he looked in the bathroom mirror. "I look ridiculous..."</p><p>Isen and Remi were trying to keep their cool, Isen snapping a picture for future blackmail material.</p><p>Seraphina sighed. "Relax Blyke. This stuff isn't water proof so just take a shower when you get back and it'll wash right out."</p><p>The once redheaded teen dropped his head in defeat before nodding. "...Fine."</p><p>*Click*</p><p>They turned their heads to see Arlo emerge and Remi's breath caught in her throat. </p><p>The blonde was wearing a tight navy blue shirt with a white v like stripe across the collar bone. He also had on a pair of dark grey pants and brown boots that went up to his mid calf.</p><p>In that moment, she no longer saw Arlo. </p><p>Instead, Remi saw spiky green hair and bright citric eyes that lit up the room. She saw a dazzling yet dorky smile and a gaze that held a million ideas ready to be brought to life.</p><p>She saw someone who her heart ached to see and knew she wouldn't get to see again.</p><p> </p><p>Arlo peaked his head up as he saw the pinkette, a flash of concern showing in his eyes as he saw the tears threatening to spill over her amber gaze.</p><p>He placed down his bag and walked over. "Remi? Are you alright?"</p><p>She quickly shook herself out of the haze and wiped her eyes slightly. "Yeah...yeah, I'm sorry. It's just you look...you look like..." Damn why was this so hard for her to say?</p><p>But Arlo managed to catch on, his gaze softening ever so slightly. "Do I really...?"</p><p>His voice was still stern but it took on a softer note. The other three were surprised by this as they merely watched.</p><p>Remi nodded and Arlo sucked in a breath. While he had never seen Rei's outfit before, he very faintly recalls seeing  photo of X-Static in an article awhile back. Dammit, he felt so stupid for not noticing! </p><p>A flurry of emotions crossed his face as his brain tried to form a proper apology. "I-"</p><p>Before he could even get out another word, Remi held up a gloved hand. "Don't you <em>dare</em> apologize." She took a step back from him as she looked over the outfit once more, a small but nostalgic smile crossing her lips. "It's a good look on you. If he were to see you right now, I think he'd might actually faint on the spot." </p><p>Arlo had to suppress a chuckle and instead blew air out his nose in amusement. </p><p>Remi placed a hand on his shoulder. "He'd...He'd also be really proud of you just so you know. He'd be so, so proud of how far you've come..."</p><p>Rei? Proud of him?</p><p>What would the greenette be proud of him for?</p><p>He had erased all the mans hard work when he took the throne. Rei wouldn't look at him with pride, no, he would look upon Arlo with shame and anger.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>"You're far more than you give yourself credit for. I know you don't see it, but you have changed a lot since we first met. And I'm glad I can leave this school knowing it's in good hands. No matter what happens after I graduate, I'll be proud of you."</em>
</p><p> </p><p>...</p><p>Arlo stared at her, trying to hold back the wave of painful memories that threatened to break through his mind. </p><p>Maybe when him and Remi weren't surrounded by others and the circumstances were different, they could talk about this more.</p><p>So instead, he gently took her hand and nodded, giving her palm a small squeeze before letting it drift from his shoulder.</p><p>The pinkette took a deep breath as she looked to the others. </p><p>Arlo looked up and had to do a double take upon seeing Blyke, now in all his blue glory.</p><p>"Why the hell is Blyke blue?"</p><p>Isen couldn't hold in his laugh anymore as he busted out in hysterics and held his sides, Remi snorting slightly as she quickly covered her mouth. </p><p>Even Seraphina was trying to hold back a chuckle as she gazed at Blyke who just looked absolutely done.</p><p>The teen grumbled as he soon walked off to change out of his clothes so they could leave. "Why did I agree to this again?"</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>For once, the night was no longer adorned by a curtain of glittering stars. Instead, the floating diamonds that accompanied the moon were blocked away by rolling clouds, puffing gusts of wind tossing the hoods of jackets that the teens had to hold tightly upon reaching the South gates.</p><p>They were chilled to the bone but the adrenaline pumping hot in their veins kept them unbothered by the incoming winter.</p><p>Isen activated his abilities as he scanned the grounds, watching the movements of the guards from where the four were perched behind the corner of a supply building.</p><p>With his wristwatch perched on his arm and dull firecracker eyes narrowed in on the retreating forms, the teen gazed as the time switched to 10:50 pm on the dot.</p><p>And much like clockwork, the guards left for the night. Their posts were now open and ripe to slip through.</p><p>They had five minutes to get past the gates without being spotted and they couldn't waste a single second.</p><p>So, as soon as they were out of sight, Isen signaled to the others with a series of hand motions. On fleeting feet, they raced across the lawn and snuck past the towering walls of Wellston Private High School.</p><p>The blonde of the group was the only one to cast a quick glance back at the school.</p><p>This felt so wrong and so shameful. Yet at the same time, he couldn't help the felling of determination building in his chest.</p><p>He had a chance to finally figure out just who and what EMBER was, to figure out just what exactly these people had been doing to others when the public's back was turned.</p><p>This was his chance to finally get the answers he had been searching for.</p><p>So with that on his mind and his bag of clothes sitting heavily on his shoulder, he followed his companions into the dulled night, his curiosity outweighing the urge to follow the rules set before him.</p><p>Because right now, rules meant nothing in this world.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Chapter 34: end.</p><p>A/N: Hi everyone! I finally managed to take time to get this done!</p><p>As usual, I hope you guys enjoy!</p><p>Love ya guys! ^-^</p><p>-KittCat.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0038"><h2>38. Helpless</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>*WARNING*: This chapter contains mentions of blood, mental manipulation and panic attacks. Viewer discretion is advised please! </b>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>Working late nights in the lab was always a daunting experience.</p><p>Leilah had no idea who or what may pop in to see her and she'd rather not be startled by an unwelcomed visitor.</p><p>Nowadays, it was even worse with how tense thing were around here.</p><p>She was working on something that to her knowledge was very, very illegal and if anyone from the authorities found out, she would be on a one way trip to a lifetime prison sentence.</p><p>Which is why when Kayden decided to drop in, the young adult almost had a heart attack when Leilah pinned hi to the floor, a switch blade at his throat.</p><p>"WOAH WAIT! LEILAH IT'S ME!" The woman slowly gave a sigh of relief and helped Kayden up.</p><p>She was thankful that at this hour, she could manually turn off the cameras. Otherwise, she didn't know how she would ever explain Kayden's sudden appearence in what was supposed to be a classified lab. "Sorry Kayden...you scared me there."</p><p>The young man gave a sigh of relief as he brushed himself off. "Nah, you're good. Sorry 'bout that...I tried calling you but you weren't answering. Work keeping you occupied?"</p><p>The lavender haired woman nodded and gave a huff, running her fingers through her hair. "More or less...I've been working on something to help with my current predicament."</p><p>Kayden's eyebrows went up. "And...how's that going along?"</p><p>Leilah waved him over and showed him a vile of a hazy green liquid. "So far, I've been making decent progress. It'll still be another week or so before I can even think of testing this however. But i'm closer than I was before and that still counts."</p><p>The man nodded as he sat down in a spare office chair at one of the many vacant desks. "Speaking of progress...how's the kid? Have you gotten any closer to getting him out?"</p><p>Leilah bit her lip and looked down. "Not much...you know I can't do anything when they have Seraphina and Darren under their radar. Not only that but..."</p><p>Kayden raised an eyebrow and leaned forward slightly. "'But' what?"</p><p>Placing down her clipboard where she had written her notes, she pulled up a chair and sat down across from him. "Look...I'm not one hundred percent sure yet, but I think it has to do with the aura sensors."</p><p>Red eyes went wide as saucers as a wave of shock coursed through him. "You what...?! Leilah, are you sure?"</p><p>The woman nodded slightly. "John mentioned a few days ago about how before I started talking to him, Valerie wanted him to join EMBER's special task force."</p><p>Kayden leaned back a he absorbed this information. "But why? They would never trust John just like that. So why-?"</p><p>"Because I think they need John to finally finish it."</p><p>At that, the man instantly felt sick to his stomach. </p><p>Aura sensors had always been a piece of concept technology. </p><p>Supposedly, they could lock on and track anyone with an active aura signature for up to 10 miles. It eliminated the use for infrared sensors and was as portable as a wristwatch.</p><p>It would make catching criminals easier than ever as there would be nowhere to hide once they got a mark on your aura signature. Even if you deactivated your ability, it would still have a lock on you. </p><p>Because superheros were all high tier and all held unique and vastly different abilities, they could easily use this device to find these people.</p><p>The only flaw so far? It couldn't <em>copy</em> any specific abilities.</p><p>It could sense when an ability was activated, but it failed to actually copy and hold onto the users aura.</p><p>But if it could pick up and track a vigilantes ability? </p><p>There would be nothing stopping EMBER from killing them all and then some.</p><p>While it had taken her awhile to piece it together, Leilah had figured out that John's ability held a lot of unique qualities. </p><p>One of which being able to detect active auras and mimic them...</p><p>And that was all it had taken for her to realize just how much danger they were in.</p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>Leilah nervously bounced her foot, the overhead light from the work bench she was at casting a shadow over her uneased expression. "I've been hearing some chatter from the lab techs about how they were stuck in a rut with all of this. But recently, I've been hearing talk from them about how they're going to be running multiple tests soon to not only finish up the amplifiers but also this new project. They said that this would be a game changer for them."</p><p>Standing up from his chair, Kayden paced slightly. The woman couldn't blame him for being so on edge or even afraid. Truth be told, she was just as terrified.  </p><p>Kayden looked to her, running a hand through his pinkish-tan locks. "Leilah, how can you be so sure? Why would they want John to join EMBER if they're just gonna use him to finish the aura sensors? And how does John tie into all these drugs?"</p><p>The woman looked down and covered hr face with her hands, an aggravated and distressed sigh escaping her lips. "Because they experimented on him the first time her was here."</p><p>The other stopped his pacing, going completely stiff and looked to her as she continued. </p><p>"...I read about what they did to him the first time he was here. All the lab data, the blood samples, the testing they did to him...John's the whole reason we have these ability modifying drugs to begin with. Just from his DNA alone, the techs were able to create all of <b>this</b>." She swung her arm around the room slightly.</p><p>The slightly younger man shook his head. "No...there's no way...John would remember at least <b>some</b> of that."</p><p>Leilah looked up at him. "He has Keon watching over him Kayden! It wouldn't surprise me if they did their little tests on him when Keon was doing his damn brainwashing sessions on him! Not only that, but you and I both know it's not far outside the realm of possibility for them to have wiped John's memory of what they did."</p><p>The man gulped as he stared at the floor. He knew that these people could go to terrifying extents to prevent their secrets from being exposed, but, he never imagined they would go <em>this</em> far.</p><p>The woman sighed as she stood up. "You and I both know that the others are still looking for ways to finish the amplifiers with how unstable they are. If they could do this much already, they can do so much more now that John is back with them. Not only that, imagine what else they can do besides finish the aura sensors once they get their hands on his <em>ability</em>. There's no telling what else they can do!" The second the words left Leilah's mouth, the young man was leaning back against the desk, all of this sudden and quite frankly, very disturbing information causing his head to spin and his stomach to do flips. </p><p>He carefully sat down on the floor with his head resting on his knees. Leilah immediately sped walked over to him and rubbed his back, trying to help him calm down. Kayden slowly looked at her, his face stricken with absolute horror and fear. "What the hell are we going to do...? Leilah, we can't leave him here any longer! What's going to happen to him if they get their hands on his ability and find no other use from him?! They already think he's dangerous enough as it is! They may not keep him ali-"</p><p>Leilah grabbed his shoulders firmly. "Don't say that Kayden!"</p><p>The young man froze as he heard and saw the fear seeping from her. If she was scared, he could only imagine how desperate this situation had become. </p><p>Regardless, he took a deep breath, realizing that him panicking wasn't going to help the stress Leilah was already having to bare alone. </p><p>He slowly nodded his head. "You're right...sh*t Leilah, I'm sorry...I just-...dammit, I'm <b>terrified</b> of what these people can do. But as your assistant, I'm also terrified <em>for</em> you. I don't want to see you or anyone else get hurt."</p><p>Kayden could feel Leilah's hands relax slightly as she gave a tired and weary smile. "I'll get through this Kayden. I'll get us all through this. Believe me, all of us are terrified right now. But we'll figure this out. We have to..."</p><p>The man nodded before standing up, dusting his pants off as Leilah stood up to join him. "Have you finished your work for the night? You said you would meet our new guest."</p><p>Leilah raised an eyebrow before facepalming herself, the slap echoing throughout the empty room. "Son of a-! Ugh, I completely forgot I was supposed to meet up with him today to explain things!"</p><p>The lab assistant nodded with a small chuckle. "Believe me, he's been very confused and quite tense the past week all things considered. I think he could use some information regarding the whole situation."</p><p>Leilah nodded. "Alright. Well, let me pack up the equipment and we can go."</p><p>With help from Kayden, all the equipment was stored away neatly and soundly as well as all the samples Leilah had to transport back and forth to avoid being discovered. </p><p>Once all was said and done and Leilah had shut off the remaining power to the lab, the two vanished from sight.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>The smooth, pearled exterior of the train cut through the air like a freshly sharpened blade, stopping for nothing and no one.</p><p>It had a destination in mind and that was the town of Norwich.</p><p>The town was known for its breathtaking view over Walstal bay and the only place you could get a good bargain on freshly caught fish.  </p><p>Despite the beautiful views and the pleasant atmosphere, it too was a town riddled with crime. </p><p>It had been Kuyo's home town for the past year, the man having decided to attend college in the seemingly quaint town.</p><p>But to the teens scattered among the bustling crowds of the varying passengers, they knew differently.</p><p>Exiting the train cars at different intervals, they eventually changed in the shadows of towering buildings, all keeping their distance from one another for the time being.</p><p>Gloves were secured, earpieces were hooked up and abilities at the ready as the four teens met on the roof of a large shop building.</p><p>As they soon found one another and climbed up the fire escape, they watched as Kuyo stepped out of his darkened hiding place next to a vent, his mask now intact and a bag with something in his arms. "Well, thank you for attending our club meeting on this lovely night. Hopefully we all make it out in one piece."</p><p>Blyke narrowed his eyes at the man, leaning on one leg as his arms crossed over his chest. "Comforting. Reeeeal comforting Kuyo."</p><p>The man gave a soft chuckle before reaching into the bag and one by one, tossing each of the teens a belt of sorts. There were a few pouches residing on the band of the belt and the things had some weight to them. Arlo was the first to catch one, raising an eyebrow at the hefty brown leather residing in his hands. "What exactly are these for?"</p><p>Kuyo had just tossed one to Remi before looking up. "Utility belts. You never know what you're going to run into out there. So, it's always good to come prepared. There's some string in there in case we need to tie someone up and a few other miscellaneous things."</p><p>Isen opened up one of the pouches and pulled out something brownish red. His voice was quiet, but that didn't hide the shock in his voice. "Is this a switch blade?!"  </p><p>Kuyo nodded and pulled out one of his own. "Again, you never know what you're going to run into. Remi's already informed me that some of you have encountered people with ability dampeners and disablers. You can't always rely on your kit to back you up out there. When you're out there on the streets, you have to be smart and make your move right."</p><p>Isen gulped. Despite his nerves, he pocketed the knife back into the belt before securing the equipment around his hips.</p><p>The others did the same as Remi walked forward, kneeling next to Kuyo. "So what's the plan? You mentioned you were gonna scope out the place and get back to us."</p><p>The man nodded as he leaned over and started drawing in the thinly gravel lined roof with a vibrant glowing dagger. "The people who were kidnapped by EMBER are residing in a warehouse by the bay, just down Yoles street. There's about 20 guards in the building and another 10 to 12 scouting the perimeter." </p><p>He dragged the edge through the thin gravel as he made a box and drew another line for where the warehouse faced next to the road.</p><p>"Before we go in, Isen? We'll need you to scan for the guards to see how many we're dealing with and see where the hostages are. We can't alert anyone that we're coming before we take out the guards holding them or we all know how this will go." He looked up at the group, Remi, Isen and Blyke all giving solemn nods as they recalled Alana.</p><p>Arlo looked at Kuyo. "After that, what do we do then? We have to get these people out to safety and if there's still guards while we're trying to get out with all these people, we could have a real problem on our hands. Not only that, but what if they decide to call for back up?"</p><p>The man nodded. "That's why, we'll be splitting up into two groups. Blyke, Isen and I will take care of the guards keeping watch over the hostages. Once they're free, you and Remi will take them and follow us out. Once that's done with, I have a contact who can take these people out of the city and somewhere safe. She's a fellow superhero and someone whom I'd trust with my life."</p><p>Remi perked up at this. "Hm? Who is she?"</p><p>Kuyo gave a faint smile. "Well, she mentored me and your brother when we were first years at Wellston. She was the reigning queen and Wellston's rank one for about 2 years. I can't give away her name for obvious reasons, but I believe you've all heard of the vigilante 'Genie,' right?"</p><p>A few gasps were heard before Isen spoke up. "I read an article on her! She's one of the most accomplished vigilantes out there! The news can't even keep up with her with how quick she seems to appear and vanish. You mean to tell me that <b>she's</b> your contact?!"</p><p>Kuyo nodded. "Not all superheros work together, but there has been quite a few points where we bump into one another. We're all in the same boat and despite our personal agendas and differences, we know we can't afford to be against each other. And, it also helps when you've already met each other." </p><p>The other four nodded in understanding.</p><p>Kuyo stood up, eyeing the group of teens before him. "Alright everyone. Stick to the plan and if things get rocky, do what you can to get the hostages out. If our cover is blown, ditch the stealth and go on offence. I'd rather we take down these people quickly rather than sit around and waste time trying to find an opening."</p><p>Now that their game plan was set, it was time to put it in motion. </p><p>Pulling their masks up, they followed Kuyo from roof to roof, the starless night blanketing their figures in the haze of night.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>........................</p><p>
  <em>The trees danced in the early summer breeze, the fresh air cupping his face and clearing his lungs as he stared up at the wispy white clouds cresting across an endless ocean above his head.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The grass cradled his body against the sun seeped ground and the faintest aroma of sea spray and something baking was drifting in the air.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>A smile crossed the teen's face.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>'Mom and Dad must be baking again. I wonder if they're making her chocolate croissants. Damn, I hope so.' He thought to himself. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Closing his eyes for a brief second he sighed in content before the smell of mint drifted into his nostrils.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The sudden scent caught him off guard and upon cracking open a faded gold iris, he gave a lazy smile at the sky blue eyes staring back at him. "Hey Sera. What are you doing out here? I thought you wanted to go swimming?"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>She chuckled before picking up a handful of grass and sprinkling it on his face, causing him to scrunch his nose up in annoyance and try to spit the vegetation away from his lips.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Yeah but the water was too cold so me and the others decided to just walk the beach and collect shells." She sat back as the other sat up, wiping the itchy blades of grass away from his face. he nodded in return with a hum as his answer. "Sounds fun."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>She propped herself back on her arms as she crossed her legs. "What about you? Enjoying the hillside all to yourself?"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>He chuckled slightly as he stretched. "Yup. I missed coming out here with mom and dad but I also just need a minute to myself. But we're planning on going star gazing after dinner tonight. We haven't done that in forever."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Seraphina smiled and nodded. "Me and Leilah were planning on taking her telescope out after her date with Darren tonight. Supposedly, we can see Mars, Jupiter and Saturn from here."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The males eyes lit up with excitement. "Oh, you can come join us then!"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>She raised her eyebrow, a bit skeptical. "You sure? I don't want to intrude on time with your family."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>He gave a soft smile. "Of course. You know they won't mind it. They love company and the others are stopping by later too."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Seraphina bit her lip as her friend gave her his famous begging face. "Dammit. Fine! I'll ask Leilah if we can stop by." </em>
</p><p>
  <em>At this, he pumped a fist in the air, excitement at the plans for tonight taking over his mind. "Yes!"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"John!"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The teen looked up the hill as he saw two people waving their arms at him. He saw black and white hair and couldn't hide the warmth flowing in his chest and the smile that lit up his face. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>"John, come inside for lunch please!"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>He stood up and called back. "Be there in a minute mom!"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>As the ravenette turned to look at Seraphina, the girl had already vanished. He raised an eyebrow but shook it off as he walked up the path back to the small house. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>He was glad they had been able to rent the beach house out for the summer. It had also come as a shock to him to find out that Seraphina and a few others from school also made this quaint little beach a frequent vacation spot.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>He had already met up with Remi, Blyke and Isen for a smoothie at a cafe. They were all initially stiff and awkward, but once they all started opening up and getting familiar, they were soon laughing their *sses off after Isen dropped his drink into his lap and made a noise sounding like a cross between a pig and a possessed child. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>And, despite his better judgement and a load of coaxing from Seraphina, he actually managed to talk with Arlo who had been down by the pier. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>The talk had been awkward and while they both had plenty to say to one another, the air had been cleared with them, Arlo having left after making the faint and hopeful promise of seeing him around sometime.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The ravenette sighed in content, happy that things were looking up for him.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Before long, John made it to the top but found that his parents had also vanished too. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>'Odd, they were just here a minute ago. Eh, they probably went inside when I wasn't looking.'</em>
</p><p>
  <em>He walked into the house but instead of finding his parents in the kitchen, the house was completely silent.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>John raised an eyebrow. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Where could they have gone off to?</em>
</p><p>
  <em>He checked around the house, calling out for the couple but found all the rooms empty.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>'Maybe they went outside again.'</em>
</p><p>
  <em>As he existed the front door, something potent flooded his nostrils.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>John felt his throat close up as he started to feel an unknowingly familiar sense of dread wash over him.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Blood.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>And by the smell, there was tons of it.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Panic ran through him and he rushed onto the lawn, pausing as the scene before him left him shocked.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>No longer was the rich foliage of the beach house shielding him from the suns rays.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Now, the world had been shrouded in night and John was standing out in the middle of the pouring rain, the wind whipping at his clothes and threatening to blow him over.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>He looked around frantically as he tried to see them in the almost pitch black night. "MOM?! DAD?! GUYS! GUYS WHERE ARE YOU?!"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Faintly, he heard someone call his name over the howling wind.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"J-JOHN?!"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>He wasn't prepared for the group of teens and adults from Wellston staring at him in horror and disgust.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>At the very front, Seraphina stood there, eyes wide in absolute fear. "John...! What have you done?!"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"What?! Sera what are you taking about?! Where's mom and dad?!" Despite his question, Seraphina backed away on shaking legs. "You maniac...!"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>John's eyes flew wide but it wasn't until he looked down at his hands and around himself that he finally saw the beaten and battered forms of his fellow classmates. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Claire...Adrion...Zirian...</em>
</p><p>
  <em>So many people were bloody and unconscious at his feet.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"W-What?! B-But I didn't do that! I..."</em>
</p><p>
  <em><b>'You did do it.' </b>A small voice in his head lectured him.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <b>'You did that and so. Much. MORE.'</b>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>John looked down at himself and his clothes, covered head to toe in blood that was far from being his own.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The ravenette looked around as he saw the group of five slowly corner him. John backed away as the wind rushed past him, threatening to take him with it. "I-I'm sorry! I shouldn't have done this! I shouldn't have beaten them up! I don't even know how this happened!"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Arlo snarled. "Save your worthless apologies!"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Remi narrowed her eyes. "You're pathetic! How can you justify hurting all these people?!"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Isen's clenched his fists. "Just goes to show, you can never trust a tyrant!"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Blyke took a step closer to John. "You're nothing but a freak and a hypocrite!"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The ravenette tried to back away from them, the group becoming too close for his liking. the teen having to freeze as his heel caught onto a ledge of sorts. Looking behind him, he saw nothing but a cliff drop straight into the foaming waves ready to swallow him whole and tear him to pieces. He felt his pulse beat harshly in his chest and he felt like he couldn't breathe.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Seraphina was the one to grab his collar, yanking him close to her face. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>He felt every single bit of his heart get crushed to pieces as his best friend muttered what was meant to be a fatal blow to his face. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>And it hurt more than any knife wound or beating could ever hope to accomplish. "I wish I had never met you. I wish you were never in my life. You will never amount to anything worthwhile. So, how about you do everyone here a favor and just <b>die!</b>"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>With that, he shoved backward, the small rock that had been bracing his heel slipping out from underneath him.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>John's eyes flew wide and he couldn't help the scream that tore through his lungs as he felt himself sailing through the air to the riptide ocean below.</em>
</p><p>........................</p><p>That same scream scratched through John's throat as he bolted up and fell off the cot of his cell, the teen scared out of his mind as he tried to gain his bearings but found there to be absolutely none.</p><p>He scrambled around in the dark as he searched for something, anything in particular to tell him where he was. </p><p>The feeling of drowning still felt ever present as he couldn't find enough air to fill his lungs. </p><p>'I can't...I can't breathe!'</p><p>No matter how deep a breath he took and no matter how much he gripped his arms to the point he thought they would snap, he couldn't get <em>any</em> air in his lungs.</p><p>*CLANG!*</p><p>John bolted upright as he heard the door to his cell creak open, the blistering light causing the still terrified teen to shield his face with trembling arms from whoever had entered the room.</p><p>He slowly looked up as he sat grounded to the floor. </p><p>His wheezing and labored breaths came out even more panicked as he saw Valerie and Zander standing at the doorway.</p><p>The blonde woman stared at him with crossed arms, seeming unfazed by his panic. </p><p>"Congratulations John. You're getting transferred today."</p><p>And that was all he heard as the world once again faded away from John.</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Chapter 35: end.</p><p>A/N: I know...I know.</p><p>I'm sorry ;-; </p><p>Plz don't keel meh.</p><p> </p><p>Hope you all enjoyed! (Despite the pain at the end.)</p><p>Love ya guys! ^-^</p><p>-KittCat</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0039"><h2>39. Ignite</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Securing his earpiece firmly in his ear, Isen activated his ability as he sat on the rooftop of a low-rise building, watching the calculated move of the guards through a set of loaned binoculars.</p><p>Placing his middle and index fingers to his earpiece, he spoke low and clear as the line buzzed to life.</p><p>"Keep your eyes peeled. From what Kuyo mentioned, these are only elite tier guards. We don't know if there are any of EMBER's high tier agents like Volcan here."</p><p>Blyke's voice crackled through the line. <em>-/["Copy."]/-</em></p><p>Isen steadied a breath that escaped his now chapped lips. He had been worrying on them ever since he got off the train.</p><p>They all knew just how dangerous this was. Before Kuyo's grand reveal of EMBER and NXGen being connected, they hardly knew a damn thing about the organization. </p><p>But after that, so many pieces started clicking together.</p><p>Why they needed John or why they would want him, mid tiers junking out on ability amplifiers, people like Volcan who sold the drugs to them. </p><p>Yet, there was still so much they had yet to uncover.</p><p>Truly? Isen was riddled with terror. </p><p>Remi had almost gotten killed by these people. Superheroes far more powerful and experienced than he was had been killed out there. And Alana...</p><p>The amped woman they had dragged into this paid the ultimate price.</p><p>She may have been a greedy and cruel person, but she didn't deserve a death as gruesome as hers had been.</p><p>The teen didn't want to see anyone else die or get hurt.</p><p>Hell, <b>he</b> didn't want to die to these wicked people!</p><p>Isen was only and elite while those around him were all so much stronger, so much more adapted for battle than him.</p><p>Part of him felt useless and he didn't know how much help he would be if they found themselves in a tight position.</p><p>He ran a hand through his hair.</p><p>How the hell was he supposed to help fight off against-?!</p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>...</p><p>Isen shut his eyes for a second. </p><p>No, he could still do something. Even if he was far outclassed by his opponents, he could still help people.</p><p>If he could fend off <em>Volcan</em> of all people while managing to protect Remi, than he sure as hell could help protect them now.</p><p>He couldn't just sit back and do nothing. He would <b>never</b> make that mistake again.</p><p>So, he kept his feet planted against the roof, keeping an eye out for his friends moving around the building and queuing them on where the guards were.</p><p>He wasn't going to let anyone die tonight.</p><p>Not if he had anything to say about it.</p><p> </p><p>Meanwhile, the current group of four made their way through the halls, trying to avoid the guards.</p><p>They had to modify the plan a bit as they had to account for the fact that while Isen could pick up heat signatures through walls, the same couldn't be said through multiple layers of solid metal and think cinder blocks.</p><p>This left them with Isen on a decently angled roof so he could see the layout of the building and the people walking at the same time.</p><p>Kuyo and Blyke would help Arlo and Remi secure the hostages before Isen joined in to help take down the guards and make an escape.</p><p>It had been a hassle figuring out how to get into the building, aggravated at how the walls were made of concrete and metal with guards posted at every corner. </p><p>With their breath warming their cheeks as it heated the masks sealed to their lips, they managed to sneak onto the roof, a small space between a vent and the air duct concealing them from the cameras.</p><p>Kuyo signaled to Remi and while it took the girl a minute, she finally nodded.</p><p>Kneeling down on the ground, she placed her hand onto the flat roof and let the familiar sensation of lightning crackle through her veins. The hairs on her arms and neck stood up at the familiar sensation as bolts snaked and bounced along the roof, searching for their target.</p><p>They eventually found them, the strained whirs of security camera's signaling to the group that they had been disabled.</p><p>Looking to Blyke, Kuyo pointed to the air duct and Blyke nodded his head, igniting a glowing red beam at the point of his finger.</p><p>Dragging it down across the metal, everyone nervously flinched at each of the echoing, metallic snaps as the bars melted and gave way.</p><p>Before long, the grate was off, Arlo carefully helping the 'red' head pull the grate away and set it gently on the ground.</p><p>Arlo nodded to the older man before carefully slipping into the vent with ease.</p><p>It dipped down fairly quickly but Arlo activated his barriers around his palms, using the friction against his feet and hands to slowly lower himself down to an air duct.</p><p>He took a small breath to steady himself before repositioning and clicking the earpiece, an almost silent signal to the others that he was going in.</p><p>Isen gave him the all clear and with that Arlo focused on the hinged vent below him.</p><p>Gripping onto the rim of the main air duct, he let his feet hang free before kicking the grate below him, the metal snapping off one of its hinges.</p><p>The blonde flinched at the strained creak it made as it swung slightly, eventually coming to a stop. He placed a finger to his ear piece. He carefully whispered, worried he'd be discovered if he spoke any louder.</p><p>"See anything?"</p><p>
  <em>-/["No. You guys are clear to enter."]/-</em>
</p><p>With that, Arlo let go of the rim and let himself drop, a soft thud sounding as he landed on his feet. He quickly eyed the darkened dead end with unease.</p><p>Luckily there was nothing except moving crates.</p><p>Part of him briefly wondered what their contents may have been but he quickly returned his focus to the task at hand.</p><p>Before long, he heard a series of thuds and a small squeak, another pair of black calf boots appearing. Arlo activated his barrier, attaching the flat platform against the wall before whispering. "Drop down."</p><p>Remi let go and visibly flinched at the soft thud her drop made against the crystalline surface. She then hopped down and gave a thumbs up before another thud sounded. Kuyo was the next one down but his steps were far more swift, barely making a sound. Not long after, Blyke dropped down, almost tripping off the barrier. Kuyo quickly helped him regain his balance.</p><p>Remi swore she saw Blyke rip his arm away from Kuyo's grip as he moved towards her and Arlo.</p><p>The swordsman gave a small sigh before pointing down the hallway.</p><p>Arlo gave a series of three taps against his com and Isen's voice flooded their ears. </p><p>Time to play a round of Cap-Man and avoid the guards like phantoms.</p><p>
  <em>-/["Alright, head down your current hall and make a left. Make sure to keep an eye out for any cameras."]/-</em>
</p><p>They carefully snuck along the left side of the hallway, keeping their ears sharp for noise.</p><p>The halls were dimly lit by the occasional fluorescent rod that would buzz and hum. Everyone had almost jumped and Blyke had to stifle a gasp as the power surged, the bulbs quickly blanking out before flickering back to life. </p><p>The four could feel a thick tension sitting in the musty air, wearing away at their nerves. Though, Remi's had been worn down significantly. Enough to the point she started nervously picking at her fingers, her gloves emitting soft squeaks at the action. </p><p>Blyke reached over and gently grabbed her hand, looking down at it. He lifted a finger to where his mouth is and shook his head, asking her to stop.</p><p>The pinkette took a small breath in as she nodded, trying to steady herself.</p><p>He could feel her shaking a little, nerves and maybe the slightest bit of adrenaline running through her.</p><p>Regardless, he held onto her hand, letting her squeeze his fingers as an alternative to her scratching at her fingertips. </p><p>Back on the roof, Isen's eyes scoured the hallway they were in.</p><p>"Alright. I have my eyes on three guards coming your way. Pause before the next hallway. Afterwards, you're gonna want to make a left and stop. You'll be at a junction hallway. From there, make a right and go through the second door on the right hand side."</p><p>Kuyo looked around the corner and silently gestured for the others to move ahead.</p><p>Their steps were swift and they made sure to keep their presence to a bare minimum.</p><p>Before they entered the next hallway, Remi stopped them.</p><p>Like she had done before they entered the building, she carefully took her hand and pressed it up to the metallic wall.</p><p>Activating her ability, a surge of lighting crackled up the wall and any cameras lining the hallway flopped down lifelessly. She then signaled to the others to keep moving as they found themselves in front of the door.</p><p>Kuyo took a deep breath and slowly leaned his weight against the door, the handle giving a soft click before gently creaking open.</p><p>The four slipped inside and Arlo swiftly shut the door behind them.</p><p>Remi checked the room and found there to be no cameras.</p><p>But...something was off.</p><p>She didn't have long to dwell on it as the swordsman of the group eyed the area, the room too dark to make out anything of use. "Where the hell are we...?"</p><p>Blyke felt along the wall and eventually found a light switch. Everyone about had a heart attack before they took in their surroundings.</p><p>It seemed to be a simple storage room of sorts. Crates and other various storage supplies were piled aimlessly in corners or stacked near the edges of the room.</p><p>Blyke pressed his fingers to his ear. "What now Isen?"</p><p>
  <em>-/["There should be a hallway at the other end of the room."]/-</em>
</p><p>Everyone looked around with speculation. Kuyo tapped into the coms. "I think you need to look again eagle eyes. We're in a dead end room. There's nothing here besides crates and storage supplies."</p><p>-/["What?! But there's supposed to be another hallway! I can see people meandering along the other side somewhere!"]/-</p><p>Blyke huffed and leaned on one leg. "Well, there isn't anyone here and there's no hallway. So, you better come up with a way to move us in the right direction because we're sitting ducks right now."</p><p>As the two bickered over the line slightly, Remi shut her eyes, the odd sensation from earlier making itself more known.</p><p>Arlo was looking around the room slightly when he noticed the girl standing in the middle of the room, her palms slightly outstretched towards the floor.</p><p>The blonde raised an eyebrow. "Pinky, what are you even do-?"</p><p>"SHHH! I'm trying to concentrate!" Remi opened one eye to glare at the taller blonde before shutting her eyes tightly in concentration.</p><p>It took her a few seconds but she finally picked up on it: a current.</p><p>It was very faint and barely conducted any sort of power. But, she could still pick up the faint electricity running along the floors of the room.</p><p>Letting her powers guide her, she slowly let her feet move in the direction the current was flowing.</p><p>The pinkette would've almost walked straight into a wall had Arlo not stopped her, grabbing her shoulder.</p><p>"Remi, what are you doing? this is no time to be playing games." </p><p>She opened her eyes and looked around, noticing she was along one of the side walls. "I think I've found something."</p><p>Arlo raised an eyebrow before Remi crouched down, pulling away what looked to be a layer of rubber adhesive. </p><p>Behind it, the others gasped as a thick, black cable with green lines glowed ominously against the wall.</p><p>Remi looked to the others. "Check around the room. Maybe they connect up to something."</p><p>The others nodded and got to work, locating more wires. Kuyo was the one who eventually found a series of smaller cables connected through the back wall of the room. "Remi, come take a look at this."</p><p>She briskly made her way over and examined the wires. Placing her index finger and thumb on the exposed connection, she used her ability to follow the much stronger current until she spotted an almost seamless panel camouflaged into the wall. "There's a panel over here."</p><p>Upon attempting to pry it open, she found it was screwed on tight. She felt a tap on her shoulder and looked over as Kuyo supplied a small knife. "Mind if I get this?"</p><p>Before Remi could reply, Blyke had pulled her back slightly standing in front of her. Kuyo raised an eyebrow as did Remi before the pinkette nodded to him. "Yeah, go ahead."</p><p>The ponytailed man nodded as he began to unscrew the bolts with the tip of his blade, his tongue sticking out slightly in concentration.</p><p>Eventually, the panel came off.</p><p>And of course, like everything involving groups of murderous kidnappers, nothing was as it seemed.</p><p>Instead of being met with a power box of sorts, there was a pass code panel glowing bright in the dimly lit room. Kuyo let out a low whistle. "Damn...that's some nice tech they have. Too bad we gotta bust it up."</p><p>Arlo raised an eyebrow as he had too gathered to watch what was happening. "Wait, you're going to break it?! What if it alerts others?"</p><p>Kuyo looked to him. "Relax, I'm just gonna cut the main cable to cut off the power. We can't zap it because from what it seems, this is our way in and out. So, might as well make it snappy."</p><p>Picking up the cable, Kuyo manifested his sword and with one quick slice, the cable was cut, the power to the panel shutting off and something clicking and shifting beside them. </p><p>Arlo was the first to walk over, having noticed the indent in the wall. Activating his ability, he carefully pushed the wall inwards as it slowly swung open. His eyes went wide as he took in the scenic, yet almost terrifyingly clean hallway before him. The halls were bathed in an eerie yellow-green glow from more florescent bulbs that seemed quite new.</p><p>Kuyo poked his head through and his jaw hung open slightly. "Oh my..." </p><p>Remi and Blyke did the same and all Arlo could see was their eyes go wide. </p><p>Before long, the four of them walked in after making sure the camera's had been disabled. They had also shut off the storage room lights and shut the door almost completely closed behind them, Kuyo having insisted upon it.</p><p>"Last thing we need it to be followed. We don't know how long this will take but I'd rather not give them a chance to pin us down."</p><p>The corridor smelled of something metallic and musty but what really got to them the most was the lack of noise.</p><p>Even the light bulbs above them barely hummed.</p><p>All of them were on edge as they walked through the halls, their footsteps practically echoing in the silent passage.</p><p>Before long, they all made their way to the set of doors at the back of the hallway. </p><p>Arlo tapped on his coms, signalling to Isen.</p><p>
  <em>-/["Now for the hard part. There's going to be two guys heading your way. Knock them out. From there, hook a right. Keep following the hallway and beyond a door, I see a large mass of people being surrounded by 5 others. Blyke, the second you guys get in there, take them down."]/-</em>
</p><p>The 'red' head tapped on his com before looking to the others. They all nodded back, summoning their respective abilities.</p><p>Before long, the door's opened, Kuyo and Arlo on one side of them and Blyke with Remi on the other.</p><p>Two men, one with light brown hair and the other with neon purple hair walked through, both wearing something akin to uniforms, a set of attack knives holstered at their hips.</p><p>Despite the weaponry, they didn't even have time to scream as Remi shocked the brunette while Kuyo rammed the pommel of his katana against the other mans temple.</p><p>The both of them flopped to the floor like sacks of flour.</p><p>In a split second, the four were rushing in, soon finding themselves running for the doors. Arlo looked to Blyke. "If any of these people have long range abilities, taking them out as we go won't be enough."</p><p>The other nodded, tugging his hood closer to his head. "I'll need you to cover me and block any stray shots they may throw at the captives."</p><p>Arlo raised an eyebrow, looking at Blyke as they ran. "What about you?"</p><p>The other turned his head to the blonde and he swore he could see the shorter teen smirk through his mask. "Don't worry about me. I've got some tricks up my sleeve. Focus on making sure these people are safe."</p><p> </p><p>The four briefly paused in front of the door. </p><p>Kuyo took a deep breath to steady himself, feeling his palms grow slick with nerves.</p><p>He shut his eyes, images of his friends and family flashing across his vision.</p><p>The smile of his brother, his dad's laughter, his mom's calm singing. </p><p>His thoughts trailed to the other three with him and Isen who was on the roof. </p><p>He wasn't going to let anything happen to these kids. Despite his joke on the roof, he refused to let any of them die tonight. They were already giving and risking so much to help him and he sure as hell was going to do the same when all was said and done. </p><p>He wasn't going to let anything worse happen to the people he loves. He had been foolish for keeping them in the dark about his whereabouts, to not tell them to keep their eyes peeled for any danger that may come their way because of him.</p><p>But he couldn't dwell on those mistakes right now. Because they all needed him. And he needed them.</p><p>Opening his eyes and brandishing his katana, he raised it over his head, preparing to bring it down on the bolted door. 'Hang on just a little longer guys. I'm getting you out of here.'</p><p>
  <span class="u">
    <em>
      <b>*CLANG!*</b>
    </em>
  </span>
</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>When fighting, there's always that split second of calm.</p><p>A second where everything is frozen.</p><p>Nobody moves or even dares to breathe because all they can do it stand there, wondering what was to come, their minds too sluggish to conceive upon the chaos that would soon rain down on them.</p><p>Then time resumes and everything comes crashing down like a collapsing building.</p><p>All of a sudden, there's too much chaos, there's too much happening all at once.</p><p>You can't gain your bearings because there's no bearings to be found.</p><p>There's yelling and screaming and orders thrown about that almost no one can pick up on because one second, the guard is standing there with his ability ready to fire and the next, he's unconscious and bloody on the concrete floor </p><p> </p><p>It started with the doors breaking in, an echoing clang as their locks broke and they were blasted open by some bright red aura.</p><p>Then, the barrier went up, a dome of condensed sunlight curling around them and shielding them from the stray shots that had started bouncing around the room.</p><p>Crawling forward to the edge of the dome among the small, huddled group of 10, a young kid a little younger than 12 watched as a girl darted by him, using the barrier to kick off of as she spun kicked one of their various assailants in the face, the man barely having time to recover as he rolled away, activating his ability with thickly thorned vines protruding from the ground.</p><p>The girl wasted no time and like the flow of electricity herself, zigged and zagged across the floor, until she punched the man in the stomach and brought her knee up to his head.</p><p>An older woman with tanned skin and faded purple locks watched with a weary gaze through lime green irises as a boy with dark blue hair dashed by, red contrails leaving his fingers as he ran at the guards.</p><p>The group all yelped and backed closer together despite their bindings as a large shock wave came from the boy, sending a set of guards flying into the wall and cracking the cinder block behind their backs.</p><p>The man beside her, his blue locks pulled back into a low ponytail and facial hair slightly unkempt watched in shock as he saw the young man that came barreling through, throwing a set of daggers at a guard running towards him.</p><p>Then, when the swordsman looked up to the older gentleman, they shared a brief look.</p><p>A torrent of emotions and unsaid words flooded across with that one look he gave his son and that the young man gave back to him. </p><p class="">
  <em>'Why didn't you tell me? Why didn't you trust me? What's going on?'</em>
</p><p>And he searched and found that answer sitting in his son's gaze. </p><p>
  <em>'I'm sorry. I should've told you. I'll explain when we're safe.'</em>
</p><p>So for now, all the anger and slight betrayal he had sitting in his chest ebbed away as his gaze softened, the corners of his lips pulling into a soft smile. </p><p>Deep down, he was glad he was here, that he was willing to risk his neck to save them. He didn't know what made his son think it was a good idea to become a vigilante, but he was proud of his son for owning up to his mistakes and trying to make things right.</p><p>Kuyo felt shock run through him but returned the gesture as his dad mouthed four words to him.</p><p><em><span class="u">'I'm proud of you.'</span></em> </p><p> </p><p>Isen ran through the halls as he maneuvered around the hordes of guards rushing to aid their companions.</p><p>The teen sighed to himself as he also followed along, staying in the various shadows as he made his way to the storage room where he encountered two guards a bit out of the ordinary. </p><p>One was male while the other was female.</p><p>But something was off about them. </p><p>He took notice of the needles that now lay scattered on the floor as well as the fresh injection wounds adorning their arms.</p><p>His eyes went wide before he buried his fist in the ground, tearing up the floor beneath their feet and throwing them off balance. Luckily it seemed like the amplifiers hadn't taken effect yet. While they were busy trying to regain their stance, Isen bolted through the door and down the corridor, tearing into the fight before him as he watched Arlo kick a woman in the ribs, sending her thudding into a pillar.</p><p>Blyke looked over to him, his eyes going wide. "Wait, you aren't supposed to be down here yet! What's wrong?!"</p><p>Isen panted as he looked up at the group. "Guys! We have to move!"</p><p>Remi raised an eyebrow, the last of the guards having been knocked out. "Why? What's wrong?"</p><p>"It's the guards! They have ability amplifi-!</p><p>But Isen never got to finish his sentence. </p><p>Arlo barely had time to throw up his barrier at the entrance as an explosion blew through the doors, a torrent of raging fire billowing towards them.</p><p>Everyone screamed as they got thrown back, the explosion throwing Arlo off balance as his barrier vanished, the flames scorching the doors.</p><p>The captives were all in various states of disarray, their heads spinning and all of them dazed.</p><p>Arlo coughed as he laid on his stomach, his head spinning from having smacked it against the floor as he fell.</p><p>The others groaned as they slowly came back around, Isen calling out to the blonde despite the ringing in his ears. "A-Arlo...!"</p><p>The lot of them didn't have time to check any potential injuries they may have as they watched a set of people walk through the doors.</p><p>Kuyo and Remi felt their eyes go wide as they saw a woman with bright red hair standing there in the flamed doorway, her eyes glowing a bright orange as her fingers flickered with sparks.</p><p>The man next to her, his slate grey hair and scalding red-orange eyes bore into them, his arms seeming to be glowing between the burning cracks that adorned his arms, his fingers dripping with some form of molten substance; lava to be exact.</p><p>Blyke slowly pushed himself up despite the ache in his arm and looked at them, knowing things just got a whole lot more difficult.</p><p>'Sh*t...'</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Chapter 36: end.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0040"><h2>40. Author update (will be deleted when new chapter is up)</h2></a>
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    <p>Hey guys!</p><p>Author update here!</p><p>So, there's not going to be an update for this week as I've been trying to handle a lot and I unfortunately won't make my deadline on time.</p><p>I normally update either on Thursday or Sunday depending on when I finish my edits but unfortunately, I've been swamped this week between writers block, and some irl things.</p><p>Fractured will be back on Thursday (with a possible but slim chance of a double update idk we'll see.)</p><p>Until then, take care everyone!</p><p>Love ya guys! ^-^</p><p>-KittCat</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I hope you all enjoy the book and I can't wait to hear your feedback! ^-^</p><p>Hope you enjoy!</p><p>-KittCat.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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